Marc Jacobs' Blank Slate

I got to Marc at 7:45 - the earliest I’ve ever been in my entire life.

There was a line for ticket holders and a line for not ticket holders. I’m not sure what happened to the latter because my ticket was turned over, flipped upside down and the beefy security guard even read the serial number. Once inside the boiling hot white box I was told a) the girls were painted white and b) Lady Gaga was definitely coming.

I stationed myself behind Katie Grand, Juergen Teller and Jefferson Hack (down the row from Rachel Zoe and across from Anna and Bee) and soaked in all their British (and I guess German) brilliance. At 8:03, Perez Hilton was still by his lonesome and the two conspicuously empty seats were filled with Madonna and Jesus. PR’s panicked, “Lorenzo swore he’d take care of it!”

Iris Strubegger opened in a charcoal coat belted over something cream with a very white face and very Geisha shoes. Ruffles followed on suits, dresses, skirts, bags, scrunchies, they came in tulle and wool and cotton and anything else. Karlie wore a military coat, Stam rocked a black cut-out jacket and Vlada had her bra on the outside. The show ended with a series of beautiful dresses, hand beaded white over nude tulle and cream ruffles edged in black all over slightly loose nude mesh leggings.

Lorenzo and Gaga did show up about twenty looks in. Photographers went nuts, do we photograph the clothes? Madonna? Gaga?

Clothes please.

posted by cesarcmma

Sep 14, 2009 9:36PM

So quick girls!

I think I like it...I'll wait to see the entire collection but these pics are a great teaser...(much better pics by the way :D)

posted by LeMagnifique

Sep 14, 2009 10:06PM

"strange I have seen this(suit)before "

adventure in copyright material.

exhibit A: picture 12. trouser suit is an exact copy of Comme des Garcons
autumn/winter 07 (the only difference is in the styling )

posted by guest

Sep 14, 2009 10:28PM

Marc does Comme des Garcons again. I love Comme des Garcon so following that logic I then must love this collection.

Does MJ collection sell? or is it MJ's "couture" used simply to sell Marc by and all the penny things?

Sep 15, 2009 12:02AM

i hate this collection! seriously is he even trying anymore?
it speaks volumes about marc when most of the press is about gaga showing up.

Sep 15, 2009 12:36AM

It's Juergen Teller not Jeurgen. If you have a tag with his name, it might as well be the right one.

Sep 15, 2009 7:21AM

#4, lady gaga wears no pants and dresses like a creature not of this world. it's difficult for anyone even the press to ignore her, and it in no way detracted from the collection, which i thought was audacious and fabulous. from what i've read so far, there has been nothing but positive media coverage about the collection, so i'm not really sure where you're getting your news from.

posted by k1mb3rly

Sep 15, 2009 9:10AM

I'm not at all preoccupied by what "the press" says as a way to dictate my opinion. So I'm not really sure what your point is #6. Just because everyone else says its fantastic, well gee it must be?

To be honest, this collection didn't seem to have the same wear-ability that I loved last fall and last spring. The photos I saw on style.com of those belted jackets looked incredibly unflattering on Nimue and Hanne. I just didn't get it.

Sep 15, 2009 9:19AM

k1mb3rly, please read what i wrote again. i merely mentioned the press because #4 made a comment about the coverage being overwhelmingly lady gaga related. in no way, shape, or form did i assert that anyone's opinion should be formed based on what wwd or cathy horyn says. if you want to refute my statements, please be so kind as to address the points i actually made and not the points you think i made.

as for the wearability of the collection, what goes down the runway is not necessarily what we see once it arrives in the stores, so i'm sure many of the silhouettes will be tamed, the amount of ruffles axed, and hemlines elongated once it's on the racks.

Sep 15, 2009 10:07AM

This is a HIDEOUS collection. It's like Comme des Garcons but awful. The only thing I liked in all those looks was the sheer leggings.

As an aside, I find it gross that Marc invited/permitted Perez Hilton to attend.

posted by nycshoegal

Sep 15, 2009 11:09AM

i love him but I am not a fan of this. very...umm...frumpy i think would be the word.

Sep 15, 2009 1:16PM

i think the geisha inspired was a nice thing to hide behind. the white faces and shoes were a distraction to how awful this collection really was.

Sep 15, 2009 3:08PM

UGLY. UGLY. Ridiculous. HORRIFIC!!! The worst I've ever seen from Marc Jacobs. As someone commented, he's not even trying anymore. Did I mention awful?!!

posted by kelleyd

Sep 15, 2009 5:06PM

I thought the collection was gorgeous, despite it's over-ruffled moments.

But I'd give Jacobs credit even if it wasn't, simply because he's the first designer who's recognized how repetitive this whole grunge thing is getting aloud. The look itself is still appealing. It's cool. In fact, it's the epitome of cool. Whatever other moods may be floating around, the pared down, torn up aesthetic will always seem more tough, more raw, more real. Apathy will always win out over enthusiasm, because there's nothing to second guess, just cigarettes and emptiness. But really, is that all there is to strive for? Being better than everyone else?
And, ignoring that, when everyone exudes the same rawness, the kind that is bought and sold at Urban Outfitters, what is there that is truly real? I'm tired of apathy, and I'm tired of cool. I'll take whatever I can't get of what tries swimming in a different direction.

Sep 15, 2009 6:27PM

very well said, kelleyd!

posted by Amber

Sep 16, 2009 4:08PM

Wait. Can someone please explain why Perez Hilton is at the Marc Jacobs show?! Surely he did not get an invite?? Who wants his press?!

posted by grammyweezy

Sep 17, 2009 7:32PM

While it was certainly not my favorite of his collections, I thought it was interesting, and he definitely does deserve credit for going against the tide, even if the result is rather unwearable.