Say it ain’t so! Major fashion guru and designer Marc Jacobs announced that will be leaving Louis Vuitton to focus on his own brand – owned by Louis Vuitton. Jacobs presented his last collection for Louis Vuitton last night, Wednesday, with an all-black swan song that incorporated elements from his past shows and tributes to the women he was most inspired by. After the show, Jacobs announced his departure.
What’s a Louis girl to do now?
If you aren’t familiar, Marc Jacobs is the designer responsible for turning Louis Vuitton from just a luxury luggage maker into a global fashion brand and household name. At the age of 24, Jacobs was the youngest designer to receive the New Fashion Talent award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America. After graduating from the Parsons New School of Design, Jacobs worked for Perry Ellis and shortly thereafter created his own label in 1984. In 1997, Jacobs became Louis Vuitton’s artistic director. Jacob’s theatrical fashion shows have heightened the LV brand over the past 16 years along with the designer instincts to know just what women want to wear. Jacobs is considered to be one of the greatest fashion contributors of all time and plans to continue his reign by stepping back to focus on his brand and potential initial public offering (IPO).
Marc Jacobs is owned by Louis Vuitton, and the company is very supportive of the change. They expect that the Marc Jacobs brand will be ready for an IPO within the next three years. Some fashion industry observers believe Jacobs has been inspired by the success of the U.S. brand Michael Kors, whose shares and sales have see tremendous growth since their initial public offering last year. Sounds like a good plan to me Marc, we will be waiting!
