All American Man

It was a trip to the House on the Prairie with Marc Jacobs collection for Spring/Summer 2009 shown in New York.

He used layered vintage foil fabrics, flattened boater hats and hobble skirts to create the Americana Country Girl theme which ran throughout his collections.

“Rhapsody in Blue” blared out from the speakers echoing patriotism whilst Jacobs models shimmied down the catwalk split with Stefan Beckman’s staggered mirrored pillars.

The key looks were gingham shirts, much like those seen in Jacobs’ 1992 collection for Perry Ellis, tucked into hobble skirts and cinched at the waist with cummerbunds. The mismatch and layering of various metallic foil fabrics gives the collection a vintage tone enhanced by the eclectic brooches, necklaces and tribal bangles. Jacobs also layered; simple shirts with buttoned collars and jersey jumpers finished off with Capri trousers to complete the prairie girl look.

With hair scraped back into a tight plait or turbans covering the hair, Marc Jacobs made it apparent this season that it is all about the clothes and the workmanship. He embroiders flowers and shapes onto the already intricate fabrics, the clever drapery and tailoring gave a powerful hourglass figure for a sophisticated but modern woman.

As the collection comes to a close it is apparent that canary yellow was prominent on Marc Jacobs’s mood board. The colour is scattered through his pieces, often contrasting it with bold colours like electric blue. He uses a wide range of colours, the deep reds and midnight blues used at the beginning of the collection and the prominent bright blues and yellows coming through towards the end of the show.

The key pieces of the show included: a flowing chiffon dress, cinched at the waist, features both canary yellow and electric blue in thick stripes, conjuring up images of a circus big-top. Tabard and apron style dresses were also prominent maintaining the all American prairie girl theme. The accessories were proven to be a major part of the show with most models carrying quilted shoulder bags, clutch bags or feed bags in a mismatch of colours and prints, often animal. The choice of shoe for Jacobs Spring/Summer 09 collection was a variant on the Espadrille which was tied up the leg. Simple sandals with a soft cone stiletto heel and ankle strap were also often teamed with the Capri trousers and power suits.

Jacobs collection although commercial is very wearable, each garment can be worn separately or styled in a different way, the New York designer just offers one option, the possibilities are endless.

He modestly states after the show, “I’m not interested in my opinion, I’m interested in what you think and what you see”, well Marc, you’ve done it again. With countless celebrities and industry professionals, Victoria Beckham, Elijah Wood and Cathy Horyn of the New York Times, to name a few, expressed their love for the collection, it is obvious that Marc Jacobs Spring/Summer show is seen as one of the best and most influential of the year.