Head turners: Marc Jacobs dazzles again

Laura Craik
8 Oct 2009

You've got to love Marc Jacobs. Not for him such piffling considerations as whether black is back, or short is the new long.

This is a designer who ploughs his own furrow, and it is a furrow paved with gold.

To say he has the golden touch is an understatement.

His long-time partnership with Louis Vuitton, propelling both designer and brand to the top of their game, is a licence to print money.

Quite what it is about the LV monogram that makes women of all ages go weak at the knees, it is impossible to define: suffice to say that the brand is more desirable than it has ever been.

Catherine Deneuve, Freida Pinto, Leighton Meester and Daisy Lowe were the stars on hand to watch the show.

For spring 2010, Jacobs went to town with a collection that was manna to every fan.

Something about the bright sweetshop colours, shiny surfaces, multi-textured fabrics and surfeit of "dangly bits" screamed "Japanese market".

Even the models' Afro wigs, some with cute bows, brought to mind the Japanese cartoon character Afro Ken.

The clothes, though, were British in flavour, the styling bringing to mind the look a field of 18-year-olds might have at Glastonbury.

Canvas army jackets were tied round waists and camisole dresses layered over cycle shorts.

Casual styling belied the luxe: peer closely at a dungaree dress and you could see it was hand-beaded to within an inch of its life.

The bags were the stars: a reminder, if any were needed, that this is where the brand makes its core profit.

Soft nappa leather duffel bags in tan and sky blue were slung over shoulders, red and silver lame messenger bags were worn across the body, and oversized satchels in shiny brown patent sat snugly over wrists.

Footwear - low suede clogs and funny little wooden-heeled boots - came with a crest of fur on the toe.

A good fashion show makes your heart sing and your eyes pop out of your head. This one did the trick.