After a 16-year run, Marc Jacobs has announced that he is leaving his position as Creative Director of Louis Vuitton to concentrate on his own namesake brand. After months of speculation and rumors that he was not going to renew his contract with the fashion house, this news doesn’t come as much of a surprise. It is also rumored that Louis Vuitton is in talks with former Balenciaga designer Nicolas Ghesquière to take Jacobs’ place.
Jacobs has accomplished a lot in his almost two decade-plus run at LV. His focus on bags has made the accessories top sellers throughout his tenure. Collaborations have also been a big part of his time at LV, and he worked with big names like Takashi Murakami and Yayoi Kusama but was sure to put lesser known artists like Retna and Os Gemeos on the map. And if wasn’t for Jacobs do you think the Kanye West or Pharrell collaborations would have happened? All of this has further expanded the luxury brand's profile to the powerhouse it is today.
His shows were a must see and his most recent one for Louis Vuitton’s Spring/Summer 2014 collection was nothing short of a spectacle. If you missed it you can check out the replay. As he leaves Louis Vuitton and frees up some time, Jacobs expressed that he'd be using his time to focus on an upcoming IPO offering on Marc Jacobs International that should happen within the next three years.
[via WWD]
