Dear Marc,
This is a very difficult thing for us to say, since we’ve been your biggest fans forever. We’ve always idolized you for your creative independence, geekiness, and wallflower chic-meets-grunge aesthetic. As a geeks ourselves, we admired you for always being yourself, which is so uniquely cool, instead of being trendy or sexy.
So, this letter comes with a ton of love and respect.
Many expressed outrage as you morphed from chubby, awkward Marc to hot, buff, usually naked Marc. Adjusting to sexy Marc was difficult.
Suddenly, Victoria Beckham replaced Sofia Coppola in your ads, and your shows were full of celebrities outshining the usual art scene crowd of Rachel Feinstein and Cindy Sherman. But you’re an amazing designer who is internationally revered and loved, so your audience changed with you.
We’ve never had a problem with sexy Marc. You kept it quirky in kilts, tons of tattoos, and the occasional blue hair. And your designs stayed grungey, awkward, cute, and gorgeous.
But this is too much. You may be gay, sexy, and a famous fashion designer, but you are not Tom Ford.
And we’ll even quote you on that. “When I first went to Vuitton, I spent so much time comparing myself to Tom Ford, and Gucci was, like, this sexy thing…. More people understand what Tom does. It’s so basic, and that’s not a put-down. I think that’s so incredibly smart and focused, but it’s exactly what I shy away from. There’s a first-degree no-brainer definition of what’s sexy, but the reality of it is, what I find more interesting is someone who is more introverted or mysterious.”
So what’s this? We can’t find any mystery, intrigue, or subtlety in a photo of you lying naked on a Mylar sheet, a giant bottle of your new fragrance covering your man-bits. How is that any different from this Tom Ford ad?
We’re not asking you to change, or go back to “Old Marc.” All we’re saying is that your brand image has done a complete 180, and as loyal consumers we’re not willing to change ourselves for you.
When it comes to the clothes, you’re still speaking to us. Your Fall 2010 collection conjured the same feelings as some of favorite collections of yours ever–Fall 1998 and Fall 2006. And Louis Vuitton was just a pure masterpiece.
But this latest ad is a bit too much, especially for those girls–and potential clients–who haven’t been around over the last ten years to follow your career. If you’re okay with isolating the demographic that made you famous and moving on the to fame-hungry, sex-obsessed portion of the population, that’s fine. You’re running a business, and ultimately that’s about making money. In your place, we’re sure a lot of people would take a similar route.
It’s just that never, ever, in our lives did we think it would come to this. We miss the your signature awkwardness and rejection of pure sex-appeal, and we’re sure many others do too. Throw us nerds a bone here, we really want you back on our team.
With love,
Fashionista
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Your post is kind of pathetic,sorry to say.This is all about fun,something that you obviously can't understand.
never been a Marc Jacobs fan. cuts for men are too feminine. i see he's trying to change his image. try changing your image with your LINE & make it for men with muscles or at least those who don't have stilt-like chicken legs and concave chests.
I can only say Amen.And to the sadly condescending comment from Sam I would like to reply: If there is anyone young in the industry that truly 'gets' everything that is going on in and outside it, that is the girls working at Fashionista. It is an undeniable fact that Marc Jacobs constantly opts for the easy (probably) as a result of his physical change. After all, which previously chubby guy doesn't want to get the kind of positive attention he always thought he deserved?x
It makes me giggle..after looking at ads where women are exploited and pushed to the straight up limit of pure porn, this is humerous. I love the geek of it all, but it is also inspiring to this lifelong geek. Jacobs reinvented himself..expressing a balls out confidence that any geek would envy. Werk it Marc Jacobs and continue to explore your inner Master of the Universe!
This is completely different then the tom ford ads. Marc knows his customer very well and I have no doubt they will jump to buy this scent.so Fashionista shut up already cause once show week comes around you will be kissing ass like you normally do for a ticket to a show and any sort of “interview” you can get with anyone who sits in the front row..and I mean anyone
AMEN AMEN
I COMPLETELY agree with you! This is going so far over the lined he drew in the sand on off putting blatent sex appeal. This makes me sad for Marc. This isnt the Marc I grew up loving for being a genius and not a super model.
Oh wow….you're a bitch and it's obvious that someone crapped on your french toast this morning and called it peanut butter cuz you're full of shit.You're entitled to you opinion, but when you litter that opinion with feces, you open the door for someone to sling said feces back in your face. Find the nearest window, open it, and heave your body outside of it.
At the risk of sounding completely contradictory to what I just wrote to AWarhol's dumb ass, I'll say this…Yes, the tone of the letter sounds a bit….whiney and grovelly-ish, but I really, truly get where the Fashionista team is going with this.At one point and time, Marc Jacobs was the complete and total antithesis of Tom Ford. Now he seems to be channeling Ford in many ways. Sure, his clothes are still the antithesis of sex, but the man himself has found a new confidence – and rightfully so!!! I'm all about celebrating transformations and blossoming and would NEVER want Marc to go back to the old him. However, I can understand what the girls mean. He seems to have become a different person altogether in terms of his brazen-ness (sp?). I'm all for a little raunch and sex – who isn't??? – but from Marc, I expect there to be some intelligence infused with it.His clothes, meanwhile, do absolutely nothing for me anymore. They're boring, plain, and frumpy. In fact, I firmly believe that right now Mr. Jacobs is playing a huge, perverse joke on the industry. I really, honestly, truly believe that…and he's laughing all the way as he's duping so many people. It's like his own personal psychology experiment. I don't think that he's been doing this the entire time he's been designing. But at the moment, that's the vibe that I'm receiving from him.
I think that I am under a Marc Jacobs spell! It may be extremely porno and too much, but I love it. I also understand Fashionista's view on it, can't blame them!
I actually did have crappy french toast this morning.
Hmmmm….not whiney and grovelly-ish. I don't think I meant to use those words.The tone of the letter sounds a little….pleading. Why is there no edit feature on here???????
Right on! And god knows one Tom Ford is ENOUGH. More than enough, actually.
Booho cry me a river.This all Marc versus Tom is pretty ridiculous to me too.I enjoy both of them.As for the Ads,It's actually not that bad.Marc is such sweet guy gotta love him.
We chose to live in a certain context and forget that others don't follow the same trail either at all or exactly how we do as individuals.MARC JACOBS is not only a brand he is also a individual MARC JACOBS the brand has many sides to it and speaks to different types of folks like on different levels and bank accounts .When others change it reminds us off how bad we want to change also and change makes most folks uneasy let the guy have fun and a live have a sexy look & sex and do what ever .marc was not always chubby at least he is off drugs and some what sober
I think Marc is just having a little fun. He isnt trying to be takin so seriously. He's enjoying himself. Good for him. Yes the whole naked sexy thing as been done over & over again. But its something different for him. Im proud of him that he isnt using some hunky model. He's using himself. He's confident in himself and I think it looks great. Its suppose to be over the top and draw attention. Its Marc Jacobs!! If I recently lost weight like he has, I'd want the world to see me!! Its called Bang!!! Its funny!! It isnt suppose to be full of class and elegance. Its just plain FUN & CORKY!! I LUV U MJ!! Keep enjoying ureself. : )
Yeah, it's probably too much. I agree, his target client doesn't need this. Maybe it's time to cover up a little, or maybe he can BE A DESIGNER and leave model stuff to models. I seriously smell rehab coming soon. His behavior has been kind of erratic and weird ultimately IMO.
I think the message of the letter is what every outspoken Marc fan felt when they maligned him for becoming hot and seemingly abandoning the ethos that spawned quotes like that one about Tom at Gucci, I've just never heard it articulated so thoroughly or properly. Especially with the impressive showings at LV and Marc Jacobs this year that gave hope to Marcs earlier fans, this ad just seems incongruous. It's not too sexy, or too different if that's really the direction Marc wants. It's just dully unoriginal, it has none of the shock value or even the sex appeal of Ford's very similar perfume ads. It's just not right, and not in the “fucked up” way Jacobs adores. It's just plain not right.
All I can say after seeing this ad and reading this article is: AMEN!
I'm ready for a new hot designer!!! ME!!!
Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs, what other designers have made the leap to being in front of the camera? I think Marc is taking it to a new level with his particular choice of clothing…or lack thereof. Interesting that he’s known for his clothing, yet chooses not to where any to sell products… http://thesmogger.com/2010/05/21/designers-in-f...
As a super duper fan, I want to say that I have no problem with hot Marc (my crush remains unaltered) and I believe that fashion in general for young people has become a lot more sexual in nature in the last 10 years. The people I know who wore huge mens cardigans six years ago are now wearing the tiniest cut off shorts and chest-baring t-shirts, so I sort of see why Geeky Marc had to die. I have to say this to separate that from my disapproval of the “Bang” ad. It isn't sexy, it is not provocative by way of it not being original. And worst of all, it has the uncomfortable tinge of insecurity that I don't see sitting well with Marc's former clients, who had been made to believe they could abandon their awkward youths and parley the experience
I don't like the ad at all. It's b-list Tom Ford. I can't wear his clothes as he cuts them for women with no breasts but I could appreciate the design. I don't know what is going on with his latest ad campaigns.
at one point he even looked like Dean and Dan Caten's missing triplet. bring back Geeky Marc!!!
I think this letter is spot on! He may have almost miraculously transformed himself from chubby geek to uber-sex god, but I think in the process he lost much of his appeal. Now, as that letter says, he seems no more than a Tom Ford wanna-be.. And I don't think the issue is with the nudity or the potential tastelessness of the in-your-face/in-between-your-thighs pose, as much as it is the so been-there-done-that nature of it. That is one thing I despise about that gym-bunny body-obsessed contingent of gay culture: the ego-worshiping.. So much for subtlety and mystery, not to mention any semblance of humility…
I'll say this: despite whatever one might infer from this ad about the brand or the person running it, I'm really excited MJ is releasing a new fragrance still and would be no matter what the ads looked like. It's been too long since the last one!
trudat: even ignoring the brand-change, this is blatant tom ford ripping-off.
Quite sad to think how far do we go to get 'attention' I guess the same goes for the lyrics for today's songs, TV shows etc. quite revolting and unimaginative.
Looks like he's turning into Thierry Mugler ((( Loooove the leter btw )
it is all was a long time ago… find an old YSL adv pictures for his eau de toillet… ;)but in a way, mayby Monsieur Marc, have enoug daisys… ;)
I think maybe he is running out of ideas, and reverting to Tom Ford's brand of sexiness is what you do when that happens, because Tom Ford never neccesarely had any good ideas. he was a marketer. Aslong as Marc is happy thats all that matters.
marc is just being funny guys. chill
:D OMG
I personally think Marc is being humourous and ironic with this advertisment. Im sure he remembers saying that about Tom Ford so decided to do a little play on the ad. Therefore the humour of the ad is something that only fashion geeks would get…. so hes still appealing to geeks! You get me??However to those that wouldn't get the irony of how he used to be fat and geeky then this advert is probably an inappropriate depiction of the fashion world and not suitable for young easily infl;uenced guys and girls!
I'm afraid the post is fine- the AD is quite weak! Smelling his “fragrance”? no thank you- being gay doesn't equal being VULGAR… Not cool- nor amusing- and certainly not sexy… I mean he is quite a good-looking guy- but something more subtle and demure would suit him better i think. Blame it on the middle-age chrisis, i suppose…
i definitely agree. i believe brand image is important unless marc wants to change the image. i just dont agree with that fragrance on his ass. excuse me?!! its too much. fun yes but that means he is putting out a joke
I don't think it should be about chunky marc vs. gym bod marc. as someone who struggles with weight in the fashion industry, i aplaud him for his dedication – but it seems to have tipped into realm of narcisism. its just too much, and not interesting at all. the famous YSL nude shot for his men's fragrance feels like an artistic nude, where this comes off as an ad on Manhunt or a rentboy site. and for those that think it is a 'joke' – if that is the case i don't think marc is in on it.I don't see this as too Tom either – I'm not a fan of a lot of his imagery but when it is himself, isn't he usually at least well-dressed?
This is merely a rip-off on one of his idol's most enduring images: Yves Saint Laurent's 1971 ad for Pour Homme shot by Jeanloup Sieff.
uh…not really, the only connection to Yves Saint Laurent is that they are both not wearing clothes–does that mean every time I take a shower, I'm ripping off YSL? The Bang ad is just cheeky/ironic/poking fun at all things serious about fashion; goes along totally well with the rest of Marc Jacobs ads and branding as a whole.
STOP IT MARK! CUT IT OUT! I feel like he is starting to cave and letting “SEXY” define him instead of Mark Jacobs defining what he finds sexy. The bottle is basically a the Tom Ford Bottle, labeling and all and I get it, there are a lot of bottles that are shape the same but you (Mark) need to take a vaca and find you again. I feel you are getting overworked throwing out seasons upon seasons without any time to digest the beautiful thoughts streaming through your head and its making you and other designers creatively lazy and the people/machine which makes up Marc Jacobs is too big or they are just a bunch of yes men who don’t have a conversation about art, fashion or your thoughts; its like you tell them, they automatically love it “ Oh Yeah THAT’S HOT” “SOOOO SEXUAL” and they just DO IT. I don’t think much thought went into this at all and it shows. Not because of the setting or the lack of clothing but the feeling it exudes. You were talking around a desk on how to market this new fragrance and nude came up, money came up, you came up, then the photo shoot got to a place where you were trying new things not to be creative but just to do them; “let’s put the bottle here, lay on your back, that’s ‘SEXY’” NO it really isn’t.
Wow. just..wow
i just think this has nothing to do with tom ford.
its not a big dealit just ONE dumb ad thats all there is to itdont panic people!
Can't agree with you more!I hated this ad at first site!!!!Actually I think Marc Jacobs is losing his touch lately..I didn't like the latest collections he did for his own brands and for LV.
@jenfitchstyle ha ha I agree this has nothing to do with Tom Ford at all.I like this Ad but i'm biased since I like everything he does lol!!.
Agreed some people relly need to get a life lol Marc is just having fun Why not????
marc jacobs you are great. but you are not amazing like tom ford
well….that's the best you could say…it's like you wore in my mind….
EEEEWWW! The only thing this ad would sell me is depilatory cream! Too much information.