Although Marc Jacobs announced his withdrawal from New York Fashion Week this year, it does not mean that the brand’s pace will stop. Marc Jacobs continues to create as usual, and his latest masterpiece is called ” HEAVEN “. In addition to collaborating with film director Gregg Araki, illustrators Pelvis, Eri Wakiyama, Robery Engvall, Alake Shilling, and Chris Cadaver, he also invited fashion newcomer Ava Nirui to join, injecting a different force into the series. Let’s break down this innovative collection that brings together multiple elements.
// Ava Nirui 是誰？ //
Before formally introducing the “HEAVEN” series, you may wonder who this girl named Ava Nirui is and why she can attract Marc Jacobs to personally invite her to collaborate? Ava initially started with the hobby of transforming clothing from different brands, until 2015, when she merged the Gucci and Champion logos into a new emblem, embroidered it on a hoodie, and made a name for herself. After that, she made a name for herself in the fashion world, holding important positions at Vans, Opening Ceremony, and Helmut Lang, as well as serving as a journalist and photographer for the fashion magazine Dazed and Confused. She is definitely talented.
The opportunity for Ava to collaborate with Marc Jacobs arose when she created a hoodie for Marc Jacobs and redesigned the brand’s logo, which caught Marc’s attention. Marc believed that she possessed the creativity and imaginative thinking that a young artist should have, so he invited her to join the creation of “HEAVEN” to bring a fresh perspective to the collection.
// 「HEAVEN」系列創作意念 //
The fashion world is currently embracing blurred gender boundaries and promoting gender diversity, with the “HEAVEN” series focusing on the concept of “pansexuality,” which aligns with this major trend. “Regardless of whether one is male, female, or has any sexual orientation, they should be treated with kindness and acceptance,” which is exactly the message that openly gay designer Marc Jacobs aims to convey through this series. Marc Jacobs has always been a revolutionary figure in the fashion world, daring to innovate and bring niche elements to the forefront. Another key theme of the series is to connect the “subcultures” that young people around the world admire through the spirit of D.I.Y., bringing together creative young minds and turning the “sub” into the “mainstream.” This allows “alternative” cultures to have a place in mainstream society, and even helps the younger generation to have a better understanding and awareness of them.
// 「HEAVEN」系列 LOGO 設計靈感 //
As for the “HEAVEN” series logo, you can also see Marc Jacobs’ unique ideas. The playful and whimsical dual-headed pink teddy bear design was inspired by a photo taken by brand muse Katie Grand for Dazed and Confused magazine in 1994. This dual-headed feature represents that people can have many different aspects, can freely be themselves, and not conform to societal norms, fitting the series’ promotion of “sexual diversity” and “gender fluidity” concepts.
// 「HEAVEN」系列細節 //
The shooting of the Lookbook was directed by Shoichi Aoki, the founder of the Japanese street fashion magazine “FRUiTS”, while the image photos were taken by the renowned photographer Larissa Hofmann. Marc Jacobs also used his connections to invite friends like AMBUSH’s Yoon Ahn and Jude Law’s daughter Iris Law to personally showcase the clothing. Marc Jacobs has also launched an Instagram account for the “HEAVEN” series (@heavn), where not only photos from the lookbook will be released, but also insights into the creative process behind them. The brand’s cherished memories and his favorite subcultural elements are shared openly with everyone.
Returning to the series design itself, the clothing of “HEAVEN” includes T-shirts, hoodies, sweaters, cardigans, knitted vests, jumpsuits, etc., all of which exude a strong 90s street retro style. Most designs incorporate avant-garde exaggerated prints and hand-drawn patterns, brimming with a playful and whimsical style, fully showcasing the “subculture” elements of young people, creating a strong and distinct image. The most eye-catching item in the entire collection must be the “double-headed bear” backpack styled with the series logo pattern, its extremely cute and quirky style is truly refreshing.
The prices of the series products range from $45 to $395 USD, and are currently available for purchase at Marc Jacobs Landmark, Pacific Place stores, and the brand’s official website.
圖片來源： @marcjacobs , @themarcjacobs , @heavn
