After seeing Marc Jacobs 2010 spring-summer ready to wear collection for Louis Vuitton – I wondered was it the madness that gripped the world during the GFC or the rapid recovery that inspired this particular collection? Was he searching for something to cheer us up during the market downturn – or did this collection emerge like green shoots to provide us with the hope that life, like fashion, does indeed go on?
In her introduction to the collection, Kirstie Clements, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Australia, said, “Marc Jacobs throws things up in the air, season after season.” The result, she says is a collection of, “pieces of madness” – highly concentrated pieces intricately detailed and showcased in layer over layer theme over theme. Everything from army green to dolly pink, with feathers and fur, tassles and trinkets.
It is on the face of it - a very eclectic collection – so don’t expect me to recommend anyone turn up to the office with any of the outfits presented on the runway, but as Kirstie Clements pointed out on the evening – breaking down the collection – there were a number of pieces that could be either dialed up or down to suit any occasion.
And in there lies the genius.
I have always been of the view that a wardrobe should be compiled in the same way as a good share portfolio. Begin with a base of quality classical pieces – these are your blue chips – they perform in good times and bad – if you take good care of them – they will last many years and still look as good as the day you first purchased them.
However, over time, as you build the portfolio, add diverse pieces that straddle a range of situations – from a meeting with your boss – to an interview with your son’s teacher – to your sister’s engagement drinks. These pieces – if chosen carefully – will leverage a good base wardrobe in a way that a classic will not. These pieces are therefore potentially the most valuable ones we carry in our wardrobe.
Whether it is truly madness or genius, this collection provides a number of interconnecting pieces that will effectively mix and match with a range of looks and colours. When paired with traditional blue chip pieces they will provide a layer of diversity that will extend your wardrobe beyond the basics.
Yes these pieces are risky, but any good calculated risk will deliver an appropriate return – and I can see no better investment in quality and design than the combination of Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs.
And while you may still hesitate to take this risk, I urge all women to occasionally dare to be different in the workplace (of course within reason). Diversity is not only an avenue for creativity, it is the source of inspiration and ultimately progress. We should therefore embrace those things that make us different and the benefits they deliver.
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