Marc Jacobs
Founder and creative director of Marc Jacobs
Marc Jacobs is an American designer who founded his eponymous brand, defined the grunge moment of the early 1990s and turned Louis Vuitton into a ready-to-wear house as its first creative director. LVMH owned his brand for almost 30 years before selling it in 2026 to a joint venture of WHP Global and G-III, with Jacobs remaining creative director.
| Role | Creative director, Marc Jacobs |
|---|---|
| Owner | WHP Global and G-III joint venture (from September 2026) |
| Previously | Creative director, Louis Vuitton (1997 to 2013) |
| Born | 1963, New York |
| Nationality | American |
Who is Marc Jacobs?
Marc Jacobs is an American fashion designer, born in New York City in 1963. He is known for translating popular culture into fashion, from his grunge collection of the early 1990s to his long tenure at Louis Vuitton. He remains the creative director and public face of the Marc Jacobs brand.
Career
Jacobs studied at Parsons School of Design in New York, where he won student awards for his graduation work. He launched his first collections in the mid-1980s and, with business partner Robert Duffy, founded Marc Jacobs International in 1993. At Perry Ellis he designed the Spring 1993 collection, shown in 1992, which is credited with launching the grunge look of the decade.
In 1997 he became the first creative director of Louis Vuitton, the same year that LVMH acquired a majority stake in his own company. At Vuitton he created the house's first ready-to-wear line and led collaborations with artists such as Takashi Murakami. He left Louis Vuitton after his final show in 2013 to focus on his own brand.
Since then he has restructured the Marc Jacobs business, closing the Marc by Marc Jacobs diffusion line in 2015 and launching Heaven, a line aimed at younger customers, in 2020. In 2026 LVMH sold the brand to a 50/50 joint venture between WHP Global and G-III Apparel Group for 925 million US dollars; the deal completed in September 2026, with Jacobs remaining creative director.
Influence on the fashion business
Jacobs' career illustrates several of the industry's defining shifts:
- The transformation of heritage leather goods houses into full fashion brands
- Artist collaborations as a driver of desirability and sales
- The rise and later retreat of diffusion lines
- The move of designer brands from luxury groups to brand management owners
The 2026 sale is significant in its own right. WHP Global specialises in licensing, while G-III runs wholesale, retail and direct-to-consumer operations, so the transaction shows how designer brands are increasingly managed through licensing and operating partnerships rather than within luxury conglomerates.
Why it matters
Marc Jacobs has been central to two of fashion's most important business stories: the creation of a fashion engine at Louis Vuitton and, three decades later, LVMH's decision to sell a founder-led brand. His career offers a lens on how creative influence and commercial ownership interact over the long term.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Marc Jacobs?
Marc Jacobs is an American designer who founded the Marc Jacobs brand and was the first creative director of Louis Vuitton, from 1997 to 2013. He is known for his 1992 grunge collection for Perry Ellis.
Who owns Marc Jacobs?
LVMH owned the brand from 1997 until 2026, when it sold it to a 50/50 joint venture of WHP Global and G-III Apparel Group for 925 million US dollars. The sale completed in September 2026 and Marc Jacobs remained creative director.