Marc Jacobs’s Fall 2023 Runway Show Happened in a Flash
The designer known to shock and inspire staged a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it presentation.
Just how fast does fashion move? It’s been the topic of discussion for years, as designers rush to pump out multiple collections every few months and creative directors board the merry-go-round of creative shake-ups with growing regularity.
Marc Jacobs may have some opinions on the subject.
On June 27, the designer staged his fall 2023 runway show off-schedule, without a livestream or much news about the event publicized beforehand. There were no flashy write-ups, no promotions posted on social media ahead of time. If you didn’t attend, you might have missed it—and perhaps that was the point. On the runway, twenty-nine models walked briskly around the New York City venue, doing two laps before Marc Jacobs took his final bow. All in all, it was a three-minute show—and just like that, it was over.
Jacobs has long been a rule-breaker when it comes to staging traditional shows, especially lately. In February, he hosted a last-minute presentation in honor of the late Vivienne Westwood; his first show at his regular Park Avenue Armory spot in three years.
But this time, he took things one step further. In lieu of the usual show notes, Jacobs employed OpenAI’s ChatGPT, resulting in a literary display that was equal parts impressive and unsettling in its stiltedness. “Marc Jacobs: A striking fusion of masculine tailoring and feminine elegance,” read the title, followed by: “The Marc Jacobs fashion show captivated audiences with its innovative approach to blending menswear-inspired tailoring with feminine aesthetics.”
This collection took on a different feel compared to Jacobs’s recent work, veering away from high-volume, dramatically twisted silhouettes. Here, all the focus was on suiting and the traditional gown reworked. Think: a series of mini-dresses with ruched, puckered, balloon-like skirts and bustier details—accessorized with an ’80s edge. There were short gloves, little top-handle bags, and almost every single model wore sheer black leggings with chunky white socks and black pointed flats. The intrinsic nod to balletcore—the TikTok trend that won’t die—whether intentional or not, further played into the concept of fashion and speed.
In a show so quick that roaming eyes had to be selective, what stood out were the oversized, boxy, white blazer that closed the show; as well as onesies belted at the waist; shimmering gold-draped mini-dresses; pagoda shoulders; and black, white, and gray suits in cartoonishly large proportions.
The not-so-subtle ’80s inspiration may have been a nod at the pre-Internet, ephemeral feeling of past fashion shows—in which there were no phones front row and few photos after the fact. At least, at the speed of his fall 2023 presentation, showgoers had a hard time capturing photos or videos on their phones. One can always count on Jacobs to shock and inspire with concept and execution—even if the clothes are whizzing by.
