Marc Jacobs closed New York Fashion Week with a bright and energized show at the Hammerstein Ballroom that combined together many themes – Victorian details, surreal elements, the '70s and the '80s, and a craziness generated by a bizarre Schiaparelli-meets-Fiorucci-meets-Mr Freedom meets-Biba-meets-Granny Takes a Trip-meets-Jem & The Holograms mix – but had one main aim, uplifting the spirit.
As Underworld's "Born Slippy" played in the background, models walked down the runway in candy-colored hairstyles by Guido Palau that integrated wool dreadlocks by Etsy shop Dredlocks by Jena, a Florida-based company he found on the Internet (yes, Etsy is the new black…), perilously high platforms and clothes that combined shining and sparkling metallic lame fabrics, crocheted elements, snakeskin, and camouflage.
Nothing seemed extremely new as Jacobs opted for decorative elements and embellishments for a series of clothes with commercial appeal, but essentially pieces that could be filed under the "banality" label – camouflage jackets, baby dolls, micro-dresses and shorts matched with tops with leg'o'mutton sleeves.
There was also an artist collaboration that tried to elevate this collection to higher realms.
Jacobs called indeed Julie Verhoeven (who joined forces with him for his S/S 2002 Louis Vuitton show) for the illustrations (a skyline, a phone, a hairdryer, an electrical outlet, etc.) for the striped sweatshirts, bags and shoes.
One dress was covered in sequinned embroideries of Licorice Allsorts. It reminded of Andrea Branzi's iconic studies of photographic decoration from 1976 (an inspiration employed last year also by a young graduate at London's graduate fashion week View this photo).
Who knows, maybe Jacobs leafed through old issues of Decorattivo with studies about surface decorations before coming up with this collection. After all these yearbooks featured selections of documents from archives, museums and collections that were offered to designers as materials to be interpreted and developed according to their own technical and cultural requirements.
Not sure about the final sale impact of this random visual orgy, but expect a colouring book for fashionistas featuring Verhoeven illustrations for Jacobs at some point.
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