new york autumn/winter 2009 - marc jacobs

over the past few seasons, whether for his own signature label or for louis vuitton, marc jacobs has presented collections so rich with visual imagery and multi references ingeniously amalgamated together like a master alchemist that it sometimes take time before it could be fully digested and for the wealth of ideas to finally become palpable. his latest offering was no exception. in an economical climate such as now it might seem out of place, or even inappropriate to send down a parade of over the top looks that was almost vulgar in its opulence. while this could be the result of stylistic touches with the over done make-up and exaggerated hair styles, the real core message of the collection is that even in these times, especially during these times, that the best way to challenge future uncertainties is with optimism. and for that optimistic spirit jacobs revisited one of the most optimistic cities in the world during an immensely opulent time, new york city. more specifically the underground club culture of eighties new york. it touched on everything from seminal new york hot spots the mudd club and paradise garage, fracesco scavulo's covers for cosmopolitan magazine, the work of his great and much lamented friend artist stephen sprouse, and the renegade spirit of eighties pop icons pat benatar, cyndi lauper, and madonna. even when he referenced the most iconic visual imagery of that decade, jacobs, as always never took inspirations too literally that it became a caricature of that time. individually the pieces were contemporary that a modern woman could incorporate to her already existing wardrobe. while the collection also drew inspirations from the works of other eighties icons such as claude montana for the silhouette and christian lacroix for the colour and prints, jacobs never used them too directly that it lost its marc jacobs identity. which is a mix of something a little crazy, fun, feminine, and a lot of sex appeal. whether it be good times, or bad times, those are the things that every woman will always be attracted to.


photo: style.com