Delve into the inner workings and enigmatic culture of fashion, from the perspective of the fashion industry’s most talented, successful, legendary and iconic personalities today—up close and personal through these fascinating in-depth interviews and conversations.
Watch the livecast of this event on Jan 9 at 8 pm here!
What if YOU were interviewing Mr. Jacobs, what would you ask him? Now's your chance! Leave your questions below and we'll forward them during the Q&A:
Brief Biography
Since 1987, when he became the youngest designer ever to win the CFDA’s Perry Ellis Award, Marc Jacobs has gone from strength to strength. He took over Women’s Design at Perry Ellis, where he won another CFDA Award for his Grunge Collection. In 1993, he launched his own wildly successful company and has since designed children’s clothes, eyewear and fragrances. As Artistic Director of Louis Vuitton, he made the firm a global luxury brand. He’s garnered numerous other awards, including a Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award. He’s also a French Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letter) and has worked with over 100 charities worldwide.
Award-winning creator and organizer of Fashion Week in New York and cities around the world, Fern Mallis has been an industry game changer in the world of fashion and design for 32 years. Former senior VP of IMG Fashion, and executive director of CFDA, she hosts fashion industry talk show “Fashion Insiders with Fern Mallis” on SiriusXM’s flagship celebrity talk channel STARS. She’s currently president of her own leading international fashion and design consultancy—Fern Mallis LLC.
Marc Jacobs was born in New York City on April 9, 1963. After graduating from the High School of Art and Design in 1981 he entered Parson’s School of Design. As a design student at Parson’s, Jacobs was the recipient of some of the school’s highest honors including Design Student of the Year.
In 1986 Jacobs designed his first collection with the Marc Jacobs label. The following year, Jacobs received the distinct honor of being the youngest designer ever to be awarded the fashion industry’s highest tribute: The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Perry Ellis Award for New Fashion Talent.
In 1989 Jacobs and business partner Robert Duffy joined Perry Ellis as Vice-President of Women’s Design and President respectively. In 1992, the CFDA once again bestowed Jacobs with a distinct honor: the Women’s Designer of the Year Award for his fabled Grunge Collection.
In the fall of 1993, Jacobs Duffy Designs Inc. launched their own licensing and design company: Marc Jacobs International Company, L.P.
Jacobs and Duffy joined Louis Vuitton in 1997, Jacobs as Artistic Director and Duffy as Studio Director. They also opened the first Marc Jacobs free standing store on Mercer Street in New York’s Soho district.
Jacobs introduced the secondary line, Marc by Marc Jacobs, with a spring 2001 runway show. He has gone on to win multiple CFDA awards including Womenswear Designer of the Year, Accessories Designer of the Year, Menswear designer of the year and the 2011 Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award.
2005 brought the opening of 3 new stores in Los Angeles, and the company opened its’ first free-standing European store in Paris at the Palais Royal in January, 2006. In 2007 the company produced the first collection of Marc by Marc Jacobs eyewear as well as launching a children’s collection called Little Marc Jacobs and releasing a fragrance, called Daisy, in September.
In May 2009 Jacobs and Duffy hosted The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala in May along with Kate Moss, Justin Timberlake and Anna Wintour and launched a new fragrance, called Lola, that fall.
In January 2010 Jacobs was presented the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) by France’s Minister of Culture in honor of his significant contribution to the arts. The company launched its e-commerce site in September of that year.
2010 brought the launch of a new men’s fragrance, Bang which featured Jacobs in the ads. 2012 marked the debut of Dot, the latest Marc Jacobs fragrance offering.
Jacobs and Duffy continue to run the company and are committed to giving back to the communities where they have stores and beyond. They have been involved with over 100 charities worldwide and the ongoing support of many of these charitable projects—as well as new collaborations--continues to be a top priority.