I was born in 1997, the year otherwise known as fashion’s “big bang,” when, on the precipice of a new millennium nearly every runway exploded with dynamic new ideas. It was also just a few years after Marc Jacobs’s famous spring 1993 Perry Ellis “grunge collectsion” and one year prior to his runway debut at Louis Vuitton. As a Zillennial, I’ve grown up with Jacobs consistently in the foreground of my fashion consciousness, whether I was a pre-teen yet to discover Tumblr trying to figure out what the “new Marc Jacobs” bag was in the original The Devil Wears Prada or, an eager young editor vying for a pair of Kiki boots at a Marc Jacobs-themed trivia night in 2024.
Across over 40 years, and all 28 of mine, Jacobs has been an enduring beacon in American fashion. In honor of his new documentary Marc by Sofia, here are eight of my favorite Marc Jacobs runway moments.
Spring 2024 ready-to-wear: The Paper Dolls
Marc by Sofia follows Marc Jacobs in the weeks leading up to his spring 2024 “paper dolls” collectsion, a show that coincided with his 40th year in business.
Fall 2016 ready-to-wear: The First Kiki Boot (And Lady Gaga!)
This collectsion introduced one enduring icon and appreciated another: Jacobs’s now-signature Kiki boot and Lady Gaga’s New York Fashion Week runway debut.
Fall 2013 ready-to-wear: Everyday Orb-ulence
Taking inspiration from Olafur Eliasson’s 2003 installation, “The Weather Project,” Jacobs recreated his own artificial sun. Models walked the runway twice—once color-blasted by the orb’s sepia rays, and again with the clothing’s moody hues on full display. Bonus points for the Jane Fonda in Klute shag wigs.
Fall 2012 ready-to-wear: The Rachel Feinstein-Designed Paper Castle
Pilgrim-buckled platforms, floppy fluffy hats, a construction paper folly, oh my! For the set, Jacobs tapped his longtime friend, the artist Rachel Feinstein, to whip up a fantastic “castle.”
Spring 2008 ready-to-wear: Two Hours Late, and in Reverse
This runway show was famously two hours delayed (it was originally supposed to begin at 9 pm!)—though when things kicked off, Jacobs continued to surprise guests by taking his bow before the first model walked.
Marc by Marc Jacobs fall 2007 ready-to-wear: The Gossip Girl Special
This collectsion gave us the dress that Blair Waldorf wears in Gossip Girl’s very first Thanksgiving episode, need I say more?
Fall 2005 ready-to-wear: An It-Bag Was Born
Named after Jessica Stam, the Stam bag hit the runways and quickly became in It-girl sensation before its discontinuation in 2013. Jacobs reissued the style in 2023.
Marc by Marc Jacobs fall 2002 ready-to-wear: Striped Scarf Supremacy
Even beyond the awesome stripey scarves, this collectsion still feels remarkably on-trend today.
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