Sometimes familiarity breeds content. Marc Jacobs’s secondary line is now well enough established that its retro stylings, shrunken fit, and resolutely seventies vibe no longer look remotely quirky. Quite the opposite: The label has become a reliably hip commercial success. As if to confirm this comfortable status, Jacobs himself seems to have lost any vestige of pre-show jitters; he spent the last few minutes before the lights went down strolling the runway, posing for photos, and chatting with friends.
Against a soundtrack of Dinosaur Jr. and the Pixies, Jacobs showed the sweeter side of fall. He used soft fabrics like pinwale corduroy, moleskin, mohair, fluttery silk, cotton jersey, and even a bit of fur, in a color palette that was calm and muted: pale blues, greens, yellows, and creams, mixed with mocha, tan, navy, and black. He threw in a few printed blouses and some fuzzy sweaters, plus lots of the pea coats, T-shirts, and denim pieces that have become staples of the line. But the real fun comes in watching him balance the mix: a white T-shirt under a blue printed blouse, under a brown silk dress; a ruffled black velvet dress over a blue-striped sweater. While only a few of his customers can pull off that kind of eclectic styling, they all know that if they’re looking for just one cool piece to freshen up their whole closet, Marc can likely provide it.
