Photo: Gregory Place / BEImages.
There is no easy way to break up. It is always going to be awkward, sad, and — a teensy bit liberating, if we're being honest. But, as long as you show compassion and respect, these events tend not to be terminal. Case in point: Marc Jacobs, who has recently revealed that he is feeling just fine about leaving the helm of Louis Vuitton.
Yes, his 16-year tenure as Creative Director to one of the world's most premium luxury brands was a bit of a blast, but he has nothing but love to show for the send-off. He says, "It seems like everyone is [like], 'Are you okay? Are you upset?' I'm like, 'No, I'm really not.' And, no matter what you say, no matter how you explain the situation, for Robert [Duffy] and me, it's all really super positive…And, if I weren't okay, I would be the first to say I'm not okay. I'm not good at hiding my feelings. I'm also not good at lying. I'm very open about everything." Good to know. Though, the fashion designer's "break up" from Louis Vuitton is only partial: Jacobs and business partner Duffy signed a new contract with LVMH to get the designer's namesake label in good shape for an IPO.
The superstar designer is equally candid about what's in store for the business. Suffice to say, forward planning is not one of his strong points. He says, "Robert is a very good businessman and very nurturing as a human being. His qualities are beyond in every way. But, we have never sat down and strategically planned out what’s the next three, five years. That’s not how we operate. It’s like, 'What do we want to do next? We want to do sweaters for dogs and call it ‘Bark Jacobs.’ If it works, great. If it doesn’t, we’ll drop it and do something different.'…I’m open to the possibility of anything. I do think that in order for a company to be interesting to the investment community, there needs to be a plan; there needs to be a bigger retail footprint. There needs to be this idea — DNA, lifestyle, words I hate."
Daunting times? Not for Jacobs. We're predicting a long stretch of blue skies for this designer's next fashion odyssey. (WWD)