New York Fashion Week kicked off with Marc Jacobs presenting a defiantly imaginative Spring/Summer 2025 collection at the New York Public Library that combined boldness with introspection. Titled “Courage,” the show reaffirmed Jacobs’ decades-long commitment to fearlessly redefining beauty, even – or especially – in tumultuous times.
The runway spectacle leaned toward exaggerated silhouettes, transforming ordinary staples into extraordinary statements. Working-girl corduroys ballooned into 18th-century volumes, paired with nubby knit Ts that balanced grit and grandeur. A wrapped, padded trench coat challenged traditional outerwear norms, while British heritage checks adorned rounded pencil skirts, their rigid geometry softened by sweeping curves. Tailoring stood out: sharp-shouldered jackets and sculpted dresses evoked power, their structured forms juxtaposed with whimsical details like jumbo paillettes and fiery velvet hues.
Jacobs’ handwritten note to attendees framed the collection as an exploration of vulnerability and freedom. “Fear is a necessary companion to creativity,” he wrote, emphasizing designs that confront reality rather than escape it. This philosophy materialized in leather bubble miniskirts, animalistic padded coats, and fairytale nightgowns blown to gargantuan scales. Accessories echoed the theme: horned-toe shoes, surrealist stilettos and leather “IT” bags demanded attention and refused to blend into the background.
Critics might call the looks impractical, but practicality isn’t the point. Jacobs champions personal style over trend, a stance evident in pieces like a chenille sweater that mimicked fur or a corseted cocktail dress reimagined as a fiery red velvet hourglass. The closing looks – sculptural gowns that resembled abstract art – sealed the message: fashion thrives when it is free of convention.
Subtle homages emerged without overshadowing Jacobs’ voice. Trapeze silhouettes and paper doll skirts nodded to the legacy of Comme des Garçons, yet the execution remained distinctly his. Even the soundtrack, a recurring Philip Glass composition, underscored the collection’s dreamy defiance, inviting interpretations as varied as the attendees themselves.
Amid sequined dots covering the models’ lips – perhaps a nod to silenced voices – the show asked: Can clothing be armor? For Jacobs, the answer lies in volume, texture and irreverence. His Spring/Summer 2025 woman navigates chaos not by retreating, but by embracing the absurd and the sublime. In a world of shrinking rights and expanding crises, Jacobs’ courage feels less like escapism and more like a manifesto: Dress boldly, because silence has never been the answer.
©Photo: Marc Jacobs