Marc by Marc Jacobs Spring 2012 Ready-to-Wear Collection on Style.com: Runway Review

Marc by Marc Jacobs

NEW YORK, September 12, 2011

By Tim Blanks

There's always been a very simple way to distinguish between Marc Jacobs' collections: His signature line was thought; his secondary line was felt. Where the first reflected his fashion fantasies, the second was all about a life he'd once lived. But obviously, the latter well of inspiration can only last so long before it catches up with the calendar, so today's show was an object lesson in moving on.

MxM's spirit used to be shaped by the sense of college/Mudd Club kids in vintage, but that was shot to hell tonight by the opening salvo of neon: for girls, a bright orange shift; for boys, a suit in hazmat orange. That particular shade insinuated itself throughout the show to great effect, tripping up outfits that otherwise would have been quite conventional. But that is the peculiar talent of Jacobs: to warp the familiar in a way that is utterly seductive. His secret may be a sense of play, evident here in items like (for her) a strappy navy jumpsuit and (for him) a hot pink suit.

Compared to past collections, there was more color and construction here, highlighted by show notes that referred to architectural-art way stations like Bauhaus, Charles Eames, and Donald Judd's Marfa. The references might have been scattergun, but if that's what the designer was offering us, it was only respectful to pay attention. And, fortunately, Jacobs always seems to reward it, with—this time—sensational footwear, to boot.

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A.F. Vandevorst	A.L.C.	Acne
ADAM	A Détacher	Akris
Alberta Ferretti	Albino	Alexander McQueen
Alexander Wang	Alexandre Herchcovitch	Alexandre Plokhov
Alexis Mabille	Alice + Olivia	Altuzarra
Andrew Gn	Anna Sui	Ann Demeulemeester
Anne Valérie Hash	Ann-Sofie Back Atelje	Anthony Vaccarello
Antonio Berardi	Antonio Marras	Aquascutum
Aquilano.Rimondi	Araks	Azzaro

Badgley Mischka	Balenciaga	Bally
Balmain	Banana Republic	Band of Outsiders
Barbara Bui	Barbara Tfank	Basso & Brooke
BCBG Max Azria	Bebe	Betsey Johnson
Bibhu Mohapatra	Bill Blass	Billy Reid
Blumarine	Bottega Veneta	Brood
Burberry Prorsum

Cacharel	Calla	Calvin Klein Collection
Camilla and Marc	Carlos Miele	Carolina Herrera
Carven	Celine	Chado Ralph Rucci
Chadwick Bell	Chalayan	Chanel
Charlotte Ronson	Chloé	Chris Benz
Christian Cota	Christian Dior	Christian Siriano
Christophe Lemaire	Christopher Kane	Christopher Raeburn
Clements Ribeiro	Collette Dinnigan	Comme des Garçons
Commuun	Costello Tagliapietra	Costume National
Creatures of the Wind	Cushnie et Ochs	Custo Barcelona
Cynthia Rowley	Cynthia Steffe

D&G	Damir Doma	Danielle Scutt
Daryl K	David Koma	Dennis Basso
Derek Lam	Diane von Furstenberg	Diesel Black Gold
DKNY	Dolce & Gabbana	Donna Karan
Doo.Ri	Douglas Hannant	Dries Van Noten
Dsquared²	Duro Olowu

Edun	Elie Saab	Elie Tahari
Emanuel Ungaro	Emilio de la Morena	Emilio Pucci
Emporio Armani	Erdem	Erin Fetherston
Etro