The Cut - Grunge By Marc Jacobs

Why he brought 1992 back to life now.

- Cathy Horyn

Love it or hate it, Marc Jacobs’s 1992 grunge collection for Perry Ellis has always seemed a case study in trusting one’s instincts. Sure, Jacobs lost his job afterward (he was fired six months later, mainly because Perry Ellis wanted out of the women’s- collection business altogether to focus on licensing), but in reflecting the sensibility of both the Seattle music scene and the “waif” beauty advanced by photographers of the time, he achieved something unforgettable. Much of it—in Jacobs’s words, based on “found crap” from vintage stores—became a touchstone of the ’90s and beyond. For the designer personally, who was 29 at the time and struggling to create fashion that felt meaningful, the collection gave him his stakes: Do things you believe in, however silly, and the results will usually be strong.

So does the business decision to reissue his grunge collection this year spoil the idea that America’s most creative designer operates best from instinct? Is it an admission that Jacobs is facing a new set of obstacles in an industry that has changed mercilessly in the past decade? Will a new generation of consumers share the irony and charm of his awkward take on femininity? The answers are unclear, but as the Marc Jacobs label tries to improve sales and reburnish its youthful image, a positive response will matter. In any case, the company is reproducing 26 of the original runway outfits, along with knitted caps, jewelry, and shoes (again, in collaboration with Birkenstock and Dr. Martens).