Karl / Marc

Over the past few weeks, I've watched two fashion documentaries -- Lagerfeld Confidentiel and Marc Jacobs & Louis Vuitton. Both of these have been out for some time, but I only recently watched them in full.

They were both interesting to watch -- I actually watched the Marc Jacobs DVD twice. As the creative heads of Chanel and Louis Vuitton, they are obviously at the top of the game and wield enormous influence over the fashion industry. My favorite parts of the films were watching the collections came together -- the sketching, the fittings, the shows, etc.

The films are interesting also because they provide a window into the designers' lives and personalities. Karl seems somewhat cold and very confident. His design process appears very easy (he just seems to sketch things that come out of his head) and he doesn't appear to worry about whether or not the collection will be well received. Marc, on the other hand, appears more neurotic (there's a montage of him lighting up many cigarettes) and passionate about his work. Every detail is meticulously considered.

It was inspiring to watch them at work -- after all, they live the dream. They work with the best ateliers in Paris to create luxurious and beautiful garments, not to mention the fame and celebrity. One thing that struck me was how they both seemed to be going nonstop, to the point where I wondered how they kept going. Marc seemed to be working all the time, flying from Paris, to Tokyo, to New York, to London. Karl worked a lot as well, but also had time to read tons of books and shop for tons of clothes and other possessions (his apartment was filled with these things), as well as do non-Chanel related photo shoots (I believe he shoots all the Chanel ad campaigns). It made me feel like I need to work much harder, and wake up earlier... but that's for another post.

Somewhat related, I found this CNN Money old article about Marc Jacobs' partnership with Robert Duffy:

Managing Marc Jacobs

and noticed these bits of information:

The two connected after Duffy, then a 30-year-old sales manager for a fusty Seventh Avenue clothier, Reuben Thomas, saw Jacobs's graduating show at Manhattan's Parsons School of Design. They got funding from Reuben Thomas and embarked on a two-person journey through the fashion world - a bonding experience that would put each of them on a first-name basis with their strengths, weaknesses, and demons.

This, according to MarcJacobs.com, happened in 1985.

Jacobs and Duffy extended their contract by ten years, and LVMH agreed to fund a major store expansion for Marc Jacobs to transform the line into a global brand. With its new resources, the Marc Jacobs operation entered the black for the first time two years ago.

The article was written in 2007, so two years ago would have been 2005. That means it took their company TWENTY YEARS to make a profit! What????

Another interesting bit:

In the fashion world, it seems, behind every successful designer there's a Robert Duffy - a right-hand man who enables and goads the artist to create a viable business. The designer Yves Saint Laurent had Pierre Bergé, who took charge and financed his company after Saint Laurent suffered a nervous breakdown in 1962. Valentino has Giancarlo Giammetti, a brusque enforcer who, after nearly 50 years, still protects the designer from the mundane details of balance sheets so that he can focus on his opulent creations.

That much I've always known; I need to find my Robert Duffy, who will make sure I wake up in the morning and get on task. Sigh.

Anyway, learning that it took MJI that long to get profitable made me seriously consider getting a full-time job as a designer for another label for the first time in a while. I definitely won't give up on Graey, but for a number of reasons it seems to make sense. Anyone hiring?