Marc Jacobs
Donna Karan
April 20, 2020
Michael Kors
April 20, 2020
Born in New York in 1963, Marc Jacobs had a difficult childhood after the death of his father when he was seven, and was raised by grandmother, one of his greatest life influences. Whilst attending the Parsons School of Design, he won numerous awards and also sold a line of hand-knit sweaters. In 1986, with the backing of Onward Kashiyama USA, he launched his first collection with business partner Robert Duffy.
In 1988, Jacobs and Duffy joined the women's design unit of Perry Ellis as creative director/vice president and president, respectively, following the death of its founder. Despite winning numerous accolades as creative director, Jacobs was fired after he designed a "grunge" collection for Perry Ellis - deemed unacceptable by the classic brand at the time, this notorious collection is now regarded as one of the most radical and influential collections in the history of modern fashion.
After founding his namesake label in 1984, he expanded his empire to include numerous licenses and lower priced lines and menswear. In 1997, he was appointed by LVMH to launch the ready-to-wear line for Louis Vuitton, defining the brand with his unique, frank and outspoken perspective, leading to a cult following amongst the brand. In 2013, Jacobs left Louis Vuitton to focus again on his eponymous line.
