Last season, Marc Jacobs brought guests to the dollhouse: a runway show decorated with an enormous table-and-chair set that made his models look like teeny, chic action figures. (The concept of the doll as a source of fashion inspiration has been everywhere in the past year—even John Galliano alluded to the idea of the “broken doll” for his Margiela Artisanal collection back in January.) So when Marc Jacobs’s stiffened-up, over-the-top, oversize looks came marching down the halls of the New York Public Library for fall 2024 on July 1, it was all the more obvious the designer had committed to the theme.
In Jacobs’s typical style, the show started promptly on time, and only lasted about six minutes. Five sculptural white dresses barreled down the runway first, their hemlines lifted and twisted and their proportions made massive so that they appeared to hang off the shoulders. (Marilyn Monroe was absolutely on the mood board for the opening look.) The doll effect went beyond the clothes—hair was pulled back tightly into a sculptural coif by Duffy, and the models wore giant, cartoon-like, pastel eyelids that resembled Janice from the Muppets. Could they see as they were walking? Even if they couldn’t, it all added to the surreal, funhouse-mirror effect.
Jacobs has always been one of the most experimental and thought-provoking designers in New York. These past few years, he’s leaned into silhouettes that speak purely of the avant-garde. He titled the show notes, “Joy, Period” and referenced living with authenticity, free from societal norms. Lately, Jacobs himself has traded his more tame nail art for long, square-tip, gem-encrusted nails by Yulenny Garcia, owner of Muñeca Nail Salon in The Bronx. “We use fashion to embrace bold and courageous self-expression to articulate and showcase our inner selves, allowing us to freely explore in a deeper pursuit of joy, beauty, and personal transformation,” the show notes stated.
For fall 2024, that meant the “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” came oversize and shaped like it had been pinned onto the model. Sculptural pink-and-black lace and polka-dot looks that outlined the body’s silhouette sparked instant thoughts of Barbie, the artful swoops in their hair resembling Olive Oyl’s ‘do. Big red-and-white polka dots were insta-Minnie Mouse. Cardigans worn unbuttoned were pure Polly Pocket. A couple of mini skirts and matching coats were made more experimental with expansive proportions and gumdrop-like gems.
The accessories were larger than life: bags were big, and looked like pieces of candy in bubble-gum pink and white. Jacobs is having fun in fashion—both in his designs and by decorating himself—and it shows. In our increasingly weird real world, doll dressing might just be the answer for escapist fantasy.
