Is Marc Jacobs Stepping Down From His Own Label?
Sources close to the brand say his future there is uncertain
Marc Jacobs’ future at his own brand is in question, according to rumours.
Business of Fashion reports that there are two possible outcomes – either the designer walks away from his eponymous label completely or the company hires a creative leader under Jacobs so that he can step back from some of his day-to-day design duties.
In January, Bernard Arnault – who heads up LVMH, the company that owns Marc Jacobs – said that he was “more concerned with Marc Jacobs than the US President”. Then in May, the label’s chief executive, Sebastian Suhl, announced his departure after three years in the role. Jacobs himself was reportedly unhappy with the way Suhl had structured the business and some say he is already “actively building things back up”.
LVMH employees in Paris think Jacobs could be on his way out of the brand altogether, while senior employees in New York find the scenario “shocking and distressing”.
Suhl will be replaced by current Kenzo chief executive Eric Marechelle, who is credited with reviving the then dusty French fashion house known primarily for fragrance to a desirable label popular with the young and cool. The hope is that he will sprinkle the same magic over Jacobs.
There’s been a lot of change at Jacobs over the past few years. In 2013, he hired his friends, Katie Hillier and Luella Bartley, to head up Marc by Marc Jacobs, but in 2015 decided to unify his contemporary brand meaning that Hillier and Bartley would leave their roles. Hillier continues to consult on the designer’s accessories.