If Marc Jacobs’s Resort pictures bring to mind Robert Longo, it’s no coincidence. Jacobs was inspired by Longo’s lurching, writhing, dancing figures at his lookbook shoot this season. There are significant differences. Longo’s original charcoal and graphite drawings are in black and white, and Jacobs’s new collection fairly pulsates with color: soft lemon yellow, baby blue, lilac pink. But he designed the collection to maximize a sense of movement. Pencil skirts are scalloped, waistband to hem, with fringe; an LBD is dripping with teardrop-shape black paillettes; and sherbet-y cocktail dresses are trimmed in plastic beads. Even the pockets of faded boyfriend jeans got the fringe treatment. Paired with kitten heels, some reminiscent of his famous mouse flats of many years ago, the collection had a dressy sensibility (fitting for the holiday party season it ships in) and a mod ’60s spin. Logo T-shirts featured headshots of models made up with cat eyes and beehives to looks like girl bands such as the Supremes. Diana Ross and company would’ve been delighted with stage clothes like these.
A couple of terrific crinkle vinyl coats didn’t get the Longo treatment. Also not featured in the lookbook: tracksuits with the label’s double-J logo decorating the side stripes. Fans who fell for the casual spirit of Jacobs’s Fall ode to 1980s hip-hop will be happy to find those sporty pieces in stores come November alongside these party clothes.
