The clock ticking down at the end of the Louis Vuitton show served as the final indication in a string of many: time was up for Marc Jacobs at the house he joined sixteen years ago, and whose shows he turned into some of the most spectacular at Paris Fashion Week. For his swan song, Jacobs put on a retrospective of epic proportions, paying homage to his own history of both collections and shows for the house. There was a carousel, a fountain, station hall escalators, lifts, uniformed porters and maids, and the kind of excitement in the room, which has always belonged to that last Wednesday morning of the Paris shows when everyone knew that Jacobs would create a fashion moment to be remembered. For that reason most of all it was an emotional show, the darkly dazzling disposition of which filled the tent in the Louvre courtyard with a solemn air.
Dedicated to the showgirl in each of the women, who inspire Jacobs – Cher, Kate Moss, Katie Grand, Madonna and Anna Wintour, to name a few of many listed in the show notes – the collection had more than a few cabaret elements. Heavy, shimmering black embellishment in the shape of sequins and other dingle-dangles appeared on pretty much every single piece in the collection, from black utility, leather, boucle and tuxedo jackets to little black dresses, evening gowns, and jumpsuits that should have Cher hair-flicking like there’s no tomorrow. Most brilliantly, loosely fitted classic blue jeans styled under floor-length flocked translucent dresses flawlessly summed up the modern luxury spirit, which has characterised Jacobs’ reign at Louis Vuitton. The show, the collection, the details, the atmosphere; it was the most beautiful, extraordinary and, yes, poignant take on the opulence that’s run through the veins of the season, and a fashion moment unlike any other Jacobs has ever created.
