After seasons of closing New York Fashion Week at Manhattan’s palatial Lexington Avenue Armory, Marc Jacobs went rogue for spring/summer 2016, presenting his collection at the Ziegfeld, New York’s oldest surviving single-screen theater. Jacobs approached his evening presentation like a proper Hollywood spectacle, complete with an extensive red carpet, swarms of ‘everyday’ fans, a branded step-and-repeat, and popcorn, candy and drinks for invited guests inside.
The new venue seemingly inspired the runway show’s authentic staging as much as it did the collection’s garments; an exuberant offering of visual love letters to old Hollywood cinema and classic notions of America. The season’s primarily red, white and blue color pallet was livened with cinematic prints and emblems; many of such patterns utilized Pop art visuals and the technique of repetition akin to that of Andy Warhol. Further odes to archetypal Americana culture were suggested in the show’s band uniforms, Western-style accessories and various bejeweled varsity jackets.
From denim, tweed, fringe and feathers, to Schiaparelli-esque eveningwear and an abundance of the brand’s trademark sequin numbers, when broken apart, there were pieces to satisfy any shopper’s appetite for consumerism. In classic Jacobs fashion, the show’s styling denoted elements of high and low culture, from models embodying old Hollywood glamour to less enchanting show girls, and individual looks that paired modified sweatshirts with heavily embroidered skirts, each of these subtle contradictions complimented each other in a dense and dramatic fashion; a fantastic spectacle honoring and celebrating the great city of New York.
References
- 1
- 2
William Eggleston
Untitled (Graceland), Memphis, Tennessee, 1984
Diane Arbus
Girl in Her Circus Costume, Maryland, 1970
Jasper Johns
Three Flags, 1958
Man Ray
Ava Gardner in Costume for “Pandora and the Flying Dutchman,” Hollywood, 1950
Art Nouveau
Flask,1890-1900
Andy Warhol
Liz #6 [Early Colored Liz], 1963
Elsa Schiaparelli
Jacket, 1938
Cindy Sherman
Untitled #396, 2000
Blair Thurman
Untitled, 2013
Catherine Opie
AIDS Activist from the 700 Nimes Road Portfolio, 2010-11
Nan Goldin
Misty and Jimmy Paulette in a Taxi, 1991
Paul T. Frankl
Skyscraper Chair, 1930
René Prou
Set of Chairs, 1930-1940
Robert Venturi
Children's Museum of Houston, Texas,1980
Urs Fischer
Answer?, 2016
Walt Kuhn
Circus Performer, 1944
References
William Eggleston
Untitled (Graceland), Memphis, Tennessee, 1984
1 of 17
Diane Arbus
Girl in Her Circus Costume, Maryland, 1970
3 of 17
Jasper Johns
Three Flags, 1958
4 of 17
Man Ray
Ava Gardner in Costume for “Pandora and the Flying Dutchman,” Hollywood, 1950
5 of 17
Art Nouveau
Flask,1890-1900
6 of 17
Andy Warhol
Liz #6 [Early Colored Liz], 1963
7 of 17
Elsa Schiaparelli
Jacket, 1938
8 of 17
Cindy Sherman
Untitled #396, 2000
9 of 17
Blair Thurman
Untitled, 2013
10 of 17
Catherine Opie
AIDS Activist from the 700 Nimes Road Portfolio, 2010-11
11 of 17
Nan Goldin
Misty and Jimmy Paulette in a Taxi, 1991
12 of 17
Paul T. Frankl
Skyscraper Chair, 1930
13 of 17
René Prou
Set of Chairs, 1930-1940
14 of 17
Robert Venturi
Children's Museum of Houston, Texas,1980
15 of 17
Urs Fischer
Answer?, 2016
16 of 17