An euphoric, emphatic and wildly eclectic collection from New York's favourite son, Marc Jacobs
The only way to really describe Marc Jacobs Spring 2020 collection is with an exclamation point. Brilliant colour! Sparkle! Sheen! Shine! Metallics! Floral! Paisley! Tulle! Organza! Plumes, plumes and more plumes! No words seem befitting of Jacobs work, a moment when pictures really do speak louder than words.
Today at the Park Avenue Armory in New York, we were taken on an experimental voyage into one of fashion’s greatest minds. And what a fantastical voyage it was. A minefield of retina-searing colour, retro truisms, intricate print, heavy embellishment and excessive tactile pleasure, which above all else, made you feel good. It made you feel happy. It made you feel alive. Yes! This is what fashion is about! (See, no exclamation point would feel just plain boring). It was a collection you simply couldn’t get enough of, each look revealing a fresh glimpse into the whimsy and individualism Jacobs so successfully built an entire empire upon.
A little bit of everything – and more – it was emphatic and ebullient and couture-like in its expression. Totally and utterly idiosyncratic, it levitated between light and shade, strength and vulnerability. Some parts riffed on the 60s and 70s with a beatnik bent; floppy hats, paisley, Peter Pan collars and the like. Other parts felt more like an acid trip, wild psychedelia and kaleidoscopic colour rendered with extreme volume, texture and a lot of feathers. And then there was a poetic softness, delicate petal-thin organza, frothy tulle and tiered chiffon.
A game of contrast, it was all about freedom of expression, or as the designer put it, “a celebration of life”. After a well-documented slump a few years ago, last season was deemed his comeback tour. But after today’s show, we think he might be back for good. Welcome back to the stage Mr Jacobs, we’ve missed you and your crazy, colourful antics.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: A model walks the runway during the Marc Jacobs Spring 2020 Runway Show at Park Avenue Armory on September 11, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Peter White/FilmMagic)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: A model walks the runway during the Marc Jacobs Spring 2020 Runway Show at Park Avenue Armory on September 11, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Peter White/FilmMagic)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: A model walks the runway during the Marc Jacobs Spring 2020 Runway Show at Park Avenue Armory on September 11, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Peter White/FilmMagic)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: A model walks the runway during the Marc Jacobs Spring 2020 Runway Show at Park Avenue Armory on September 11, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Peter White/FilmMagic)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: A model walks the runway during the Marc Jacobs Spring 2020 Runway Show at Park Avenue Armory on September 11, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Peter White/FilmMagic)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: A model walks the runway during the Marc Jacobs Spring 2020 Runway Show at Park Avenue Armory on September 11, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Peter White/FilmMagic)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: A model walks the runway during the Marc Jacobs Spring 2020 Runway Show at Park Avenue Armory on September 11, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Peter White/FilmMagic)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: A model walks the runway during the Marc Jacobs Spring 2020 Runway Show at Park Avenue Armory on September 11, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Peter White/FilmMagic)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: A model walks the runway during the Marc Jacobs Spring 2020 Runway Show at Park Avenue Armory on September 11, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Peter White/FilmMagic)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: A model walks the runway during the Marc Jacobs Spring 2020 Runway Show at Park Avenue Armory on September 11, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Peter White/FilmMagic)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: A model walks the runway during the Marc Jacobs Spring 2020 Runway Show at Park Avenue Armory on September 11, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Peter White/FilmMagic)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: A model walks the runway during the Marc Jacobs Spring 2020 Runway Show at Park Avenue Armory on September 11, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Peter White/FilmMagic)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: A model walks the runway during the Marc Jacobs Spring 2020 Runway Show at Park Avenue Armory on September 11, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Peter White/FilmMagic)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: Model Bella Hadid and Gigi Hadid walks the runway during the Marc Jacobs Spring 2020 Runway Show at Park Avenue Armory on September 11, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Peter White/FilmMagic)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: A model walks the runway during the Marc Jacobs Spring 2020 Runway Show at Park Avenue Armory on September 11, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Peter White/FilmMagic)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: A model walks the runway during the Marc Jacobs Spring 2020 Runway Show at Park Avenue Armory on September 11, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Peter White/FilmMagic)
