Deauville was our takeaway from Marc Jacobs' Resort presentation. But not the Deauville Coco Chanel made famous—this was too irreverent for that. Yes, there were mariniere stripes, but here they were picked out on sumptuous fur coats and pullovers. An early-twentieth-century bathing suit morphed into a tiny little black-and-white shift, and a traditional sailor's costume was tweaked so that a good six inches, maybe more, of midriff flashed between the top and the cropped, slightly flared pants.
Afterward, Jacobs' design director, Joseph Carter, said they were after a "relaxed, casual feeling." So how to explain those furs? Carter pointed out that the blue coat with white edging was cut like a bathrobe and paired with shower shoes. And what about all the sequins, which decorated not only cardigan coats worn over drop-waist silk print thirties frocks but also slinky striped dresses and separates? "Embroidered onto rib knit," he said. "It's all very easy."
In that sense, this charming collection felt a lot like a continuation of the designer's work over the last couple of seasons, which has explored ideas of the familiar and has focused on the comforts of home. Considering this is Jacobs we're talking about, that can mean only one thing: Bye-bye, Deauville. We expect we'll be seeing big changes on the runway come September.
