01IN 1992, MARC JACOBS PUT GRUNGE ON A LUXURY RUNWAY, AND IT GOT HIM
FIRED. AT PERRY ELLIS HE SENT OUT FLANNEL SHIRTS, FLORAL SLIP DRESSES
AND COMBAT BOOTS, THE LOOK OF DISAFFECTED SEATTLE YOUTH, AT
DESIGNER PRICES. THE BRAND WAS HORRIFIED. IT BECAME A LANDMARK.
02THE IRONY IS PERFECT. THE SAME COLLECTION GOT HIM SACKED AND WON
HIM THE CFDA WOMENSWEAR DESIGNER OF THE YEAR, IN THE SAME YEAR.
WOMEN'S WEAR DAILY CROWNED HIM THE 'GURU OF GRUNGE'. FASHION
COULD NOT DECIDE WHETHER TO FIRE HIM OR CANONISE HIM, SO IT DID BOTH.
03IT MATTERED BECAUSE IT BROKE A WALL. JACOBS DRAGGED STREET
CULTURE, REAL, SCRUFFY, YOUNG, ONTO THE LUXURY RUNWAY AND TREATED
IT AS WORTHY OF COUTURE-LEVEL ATTENTION. NEARLY EVERY HIGH-MEETS-
LOW COLLECTION SINCE OWES SOMETHING TO THAT ONE SHOW.
04AND HE WAS JUST GETTING STARTED. IN 1997 LOUIS VUITTON HIRED HIM
TO INVENT ITS FIRST READY-TO-WEAR, AND HE STAYED SIXTEEN YEARS,
TURNING A LUGGAGE HOUSE INTO A FASHION POWERHOUSE AND REWIRING
HOW LUXURY BRANDS THINK ABOUT CULTURE.
05THE VUITTON YEARS REWROTE THE PLAYBOOK. THE MURAKAMI BAGS, THE
STEPHEN SPROUSE GRAFFITI, THE RICHARD PRINCE COLLABS: JACOBS TURNED
A HANDBAG INTO AN ART OBJECT AND A MARKETING ENGINE. THE ENTIRE
MODERN COLLAB ECONOMY TRACES BACK AROUND HERE.
06THAT IS HIS REAL LEGACY. THE MAN SACKED FOR BEING TOO REAL SPENT
THE NEXT DECADES SHOWING THE INDUSTRY THE FUTURE EARLY, AGAIN AND
AGAIN. THEY FIRED THE GURU OF GRUNGE. THEY SHOULD HAVE JUST TAKEN
CAREFUL NOTES.