Image via Complex Original
He's credited as being the "saving grace of New York fashion." He changed Louis Vuitton and turned it into the empire it is today. He was responsible for the infamous 1992 Perry Ellis grunge collection that people still talk about two decades later. Marc Jacobs, guys.
The designer, who is celebrating his 50th birthday today, is hardly a newcomer or an unknown. Quite the opposite, he's some kind of a celebrity in the fashion industry. His long career has included some downs (rehab and being fired from Perry Ellis, to name a couple) but also plenty of ups, much of which has been well documented by the media. You yourself might be well-versed in the life of MJ. But there might be a few bits of information that may have gone over your head. We're here to fill in the gaps. Here are not 10 or 15, but 40 Things You Didn't Know About Marc Jacobs.
He worked as a stock boy at Charivari, a New York boutique, at 13.
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He started going to Studio 54 when he was 15 years old. He would bring his books to the nightclub and go to school in the morning.
Designer Tracy Reese was one of his best friends while studying at Parsons.
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His grandmother made the original samples for his senior collection at Parsons.
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Barbara Weiser of Charivari placed orders for his sweaters and sold them under the Marc Jacobs for Marc and Barbara label.
In 1985, Bill Cunningham photographed the Charivari sweaters on the street. Jacobs says this was the beginning of his career.
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After seeing Marc's senior collection, Ruben Thomas executive Roberty Duffy asked him to design a collection for the company's Sketchbook brand.
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He showed his first collection under the Marc Jacobs label in 1986.
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He was the youngest designer to receive the CFDA's Perry Ellis Award for New Fashion Talent in 1988.
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He made a cameo in the video for Sonic Youth's hit "Sugar Kane", which was shot in the Perry Ellis showroom.
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He had really, really long hair.
He sent Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain his Perry Ellis 'grunge' collection, which the pair then burned.
He was fired from Perry Ellis in 1993 because the label executives were unhappy with his 'grunge' collection.
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Supermodels Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista walked for free at his 1994 comeback show, which he held on his birthday.
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Negotations between Bernard Arnault and Marc Jacobs lasted 18 months before the designer agreed to work for Louis Vuitton.
He was hired at Louis Vuitton in 1997, and designed the fashion house's first clothing line in March 1998.
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Marc Jacobs opened his first store on SoHo's Mercer Street in 1997, and Julia Roberts was the first customer.
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Both Anna Wintour and Naomi Campbell contacted Robert Duffy, Marc Jacobs' business partner, and insisted something be done about Jacobs' drug and alcohol addictions.
He used to be fat.
He was honored by the Fashion Group International at its Night of Stars Gala in 2004—and Lil' Kim was his date.
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He started wearing kilts after he told his assistant to go to Barneys to buy him a pair of "funny pants." His assistant came back with a Comme des Garçons kilt.
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He thinks Ralph Lauren is the greatest American designer.
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But Yves Saint Laurent is his favorite designer.
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He has 28 tattoos, including one of Spongebob Squarepants, a Simpsons-style portrait of himself, an M&M's character, and the words "Bros before Hos."
He designed suits and luggage for Wes Anderson's film, "The Darjeeling Limited."
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According to a market research at a Midwestern mall, some American shoppers thought he was an actor or rockstar.
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