Marc Jacobs: 'I Don't Think That The Creative Is to Blame'
Marc Jacobs discusses his transition away from LVMH and reflects on the fashion industry's structural problems, arguing that creative designers are not to blame for the sector's challenges. He emphasizes that hiring new designers cannot solve systemic issues like overproduction and poor retail distribution, and expresses optimism about creative voices finding opportunities through redefined measures of success.
Summary
In this podcast interview, Marc Jacobs addresses his recent departure from LVMH after 29 years and the acquisition of his brand by WHP and G3. He frames this transition as an opportunity for growth after a decade-plus of maintenance under LVMH, which had ceased investing in opening stores or expanding the business despite successful products and critically acclaimed shows.
Jacobs directly critiques the fashion industry's recent wave of designer appointments as a misguided response to ongoing challenges. He argues that non-creative business people incorrectly believe that hiring new creative talent can solve systemic problems, when in fact the issues are structural and industry-wide. He points out that changing designers while maintaining overproduction, excessive collections (couture, ready-to-wear, five shows, pre-fall), and poor retail availability cannot address the fundamental problems.
When asked about emerging designers today versus when he started three decades ago, Jacobs notes that the world has changed drastically—from the absence of smartphones to different buyer specifications. He believes opportunities still exist for creative voices but argues that success should be redefined beyond size, quantity, and numbers, as the old metrics of growth are not currently working.
Jacobs expresses genuine admiration for other designers, particularly Miuccia Prada, whom he calls "the real deal" for her authenticity and ability to remain relevant by staying engaged with the present rather than residing in an ivory tower. He also praises John Galliano's creativity and Sarah Burton's talent.
On a personal note, Jacobs reflects on legacy and impact, stating he doesn't prioritize building something to leave behind. Instead, he focuses on the joy of creating collections and being creatively engaged. He expresses disinterest in discussions about leather goods shipments and outlet strategy, preferring to remain focused on creative work. He concludes by sharing his current fashion interests, mentioning that he shops at Chanel, Versace, and Saint Laurent, identifying himself as a fashion enthusiast who loves clothes regardless of industry trends.
About this episode
<p>Today, we introduced The BoF 500 Class of 2026: 100 new members added to our ever-growing index of people shaping the global fashion industry. You can explore the new class, representing 47 nationalities at <u><a href="http://businessoffashion.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">businessoffashion.com</a></u>. This year’s BoF 500 cover stories feature Miuccia Prada, Marc Jacobs, Givenchy’s Sarah Burton and Issey Miyake’s Satoshi Kondo, examining the ineffable creative quotient that turns clothes into things of desire.</p><br /><p>But creativity is just one part of the fashion equation. It is not something managers can simply turn on like a light switch. Designers also need sufficient time and resources, and teams that know how to translate their visions into commercial products — not to mention the best factories, strong retail networks and so on — to make a fashion business tick.</p><p>Recently, Marc Jacobs has been grappling with some big changes at his namesake brand, opening a new chapter under new owners WHP and G-III which closed a deal to acquire the Marc Jacobs business from LVMH in September.</p><br /><p>Over the summer, Jacobs met with BoF contributor Eric Wilson in New York to discuss life after LVMH — and whether he can work with his new business partners without losing his soul. The full story is out on BoF on Oct. 7.</p><br /><p>After the cover shoot, Jacobs sat down with Imran Amed to talk about what’s next for his business and reflect on the ongoing fashion slump. “What I see is a bunch of non-creative people thinking that this all hangs on a creative person,” Jacobs says. “And I think it's just a big mistake.”</p><br /><p><strong>Key Insights:</strong></p><p><br /></p><ul><li><strong>The LVMH ceiling: Jacobs is candid that LVMH's backing came with a ceiling. </strong>“We might have a tote bag that's successful and we might have our show that's been applauded … [but] LVMH was not going to open stores or pour money into this place,” he says. Under his new owners WHP and G-III, he sees uncertainty paired with possibility: “There's an opportunity for something to change and grow, which certainly wasn't the case if we remained at LVMH. It would have just been a maintenance program, which is all that's really been in the past decade plus.”</li></ul><p><br /></p><ul><li><strong>Changing the designer as a fix: </strong>Asked about last year’s wave of creative changes across the industry, Jacobs pushes back on the idea that just swapping out a designer fixes everything. “You can put a different logo over a designer's head or you can change the store that clothes are available in, but there’s an exhaustion, I think, from all of this stuff. And I don't know that the world even knows who's where at any given point,” he says.</li></ul><p><br /></p><ul><li><strong>Instinct over advice: </strong>Jacobs resists offering advice to emerging designers, instead emphasising lived experience: “You do your best to trust your instincts and to go with your instincts in the gut ... I've been up and down and out, and I just never lose this desire to make things and be a part of this fashion world.”</li></ul><p><br /></p><p><strong>Additional Resources:</strong></p><ul><li><strong><u><a href="https://www.businessoffashion.com/people/marc-jacobs/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Marc Jacobs | BoF 500 | The People Shaping the Global Fashion Industry</a></u> </strong></li><li><strong><u><a href="https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-analysis/introducing-the-bof-500-class-of-2026/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Introducing The BoF 500 Class of 2026</a></u> </strong></li><li><strong><u><a href="https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/creative-class/designer-cover-interviews-miuccia-prada-marc-jacobs-sarah-burton-satoshi-kondo/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Miuccia Prada, Marc Jacobs, Sarah Burton and Satoshi Kondo Are 2026’s BoF 500 Cover Stars</a></u> </strong></li><li><strong><u><a href="https://www.businessoffashion.com/reviews/fashion-week/marc-jacobs-approaches-new-era/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Marc Jacobs Approaches a New Era </a></u></strong></li></ul><hr /><p style="color: grey; font-size: 0.75em;"> Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: grey;" target="_blank">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Key Insights
- Jacobs argues that non-creative business people mistakenly believe hiring new designers can solve the fashion industry's problems, when the issues are actually structural and systemic rather than dependent on individual creative talent.
- He contends that maintaining excessive production (couture, ready-to-wear, five shows, pre-fall) while limiting retail availability cannot be fixed by designer changes alone, demonstrating a fundamental misunderstanding of the industry's challenges by leadership.
- Jacobs claims the fashion industry's broader exhaustion stems from world conditions affecting consumer behavior, not from creative failure, suggesting that fashion should be expected to be impacted by global troubles.
- He believes that redefining what success means—moving away from size, quantity, and numbers as metrics—is essential, as the current industry's approach to measuring success is repeating old mistakes that don't work in the present environment.
- Jacobs distinguishes himself from legacy-building motivations, stating he creates because of genuine enjoyment in making collections and engaging creatively, not from concern about impact or what he leaves behind.
Topics
Transcript
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