Just Like Marc Jacobs

Celebrating the fortieth anniversary of Marc Jacobs (the brand, not the designer), Just Like Heaven opened at Control Gallery, bringing together new works of eighteen artists who’ve worked with the brand, including Sofia Coppola, Petra Collins, Futura 2000, Damien Hirst, Richard Kern, and Marilyn Minter, alongside emerging talents Alake Shilling, Benjamin Reichwald, Chris Cadaver, Cactus, Come Tees, Eri Wakiyama, Julian Consuegra, Keegan Dakkar, Manon Macasaet, Sara Rabin, Sara Yukiko, and Sean Kennedy.

Ten artists speak to METAL on working with Ava and having the freedom to incorporate their visual language into the brand, and their new personal works they’re currently exhibiting at Control.

I’m interested in how context alters meaning, whether it's a product of consumer culture, a fleeting trend, or an object imbued with memory. I challenge how we perceive these elements in different spaces — specifically, the contrast between the intimate, personal sphere of the domestic and the more formalised environment of a gallery. 

The materials I use (makeup, fashion items, and kitsch) are often seen as superficial or temporary. I explore how these objects carry traces of personal history — how things fade, resurface, or evolve, and how the passage of time leaves its imprint on both objects and our perception of them. Through collage, I layer fragments of the past, present, and future, blurring boundaries between memory, contemporary experience, and the surreal. 

The prompt for this show was open-ended, giving us the freedom to create works that reflect our individual visions. I made my pieces with Heaven and LA in mind — an elevated, dreamlike space versus the ever-evolving, sometimes superficial reality of contemporary culture, both ‘paradise’ to many. The works mirror our own desires for perfection, escape, and fantasy. I wanted to convey a sense of playfulness, disorientation and grandeur, inviting viewers into a space that is both immersive and reflective.

I’ve done two collabs with Heaven: the first one was shooting Christina Ricci in 2021, and the second one I just did with the hosts of the Emergency Intercom podcasts. The Olga/Jasmine in Bath work was shot in 2012 — for this show, they said they wanted oeuvre by people that had worked with MJ in some capacity. 

I like to work with people. It's a part of my social life although about half the time I come away from the shoot knowing not much more about the person than I did before the shoot. It's that way with jobs. But when I'm shooting personal work, we are having a conversation the whole time we are shooting so it's like I’m just meeting someone and getting to know them, but at the end I have some good photos that fit into my work and hopefully show some of their personality. 

That shoot was done as an episode of a show I had on Vice called Shot by Kern. I was in Berlin for something so Vice organised a couple of shoots there for me to be included on the program. The two girls were best friends and wanted to shoot together. That particular image was a lucky one because the apartment had an enormous bathtub. I've tried to do this shot in other places with two women and only been successful one other time. I've always liked wet models because I guess I associate it with cleanliness. I made a short film for a BBC program once called Clean (they paid for it, but it was a bit too outrageous for them to air) that featured people washing their faces, taking showers or floating in the bathtub both with clothes on and without.

One thing that has happened more than once is that I put the model in the tub and the water immediately gets very dirty. It happened with one famous male rock musician and several women. And if the model has dyed their hair some weird colour, the water usually quickly turns that colour!

The piece I exhibited at the show was created this November. I have collaborated with the brand before, dating back to their very first collection, debuting a handful of pieces featuring my Crazy Daisy illustration and hand-written Marc Jacobs logo. Ava reached out to me back in 2019, before the pandemic. We had been friends through our communities in New York, and she asked if I’d like to design some graphics for a Marc Jacobs project that hadn’t been titled yet. The brand highlights artists, and in my experience with our collaborations, they’ve always allowed the artist to remain authentic and uncompromised. That’s something I hold in high regard, especially compared to my experiences with other brands.

Pragmatic, tactile, unconventional at times — a lot of cross-pollination of ideas between mediums, childlike most of the time, sensible is how I’d define my practice. Also, identifiable — a common theme is the use of the colour red. With these works, I wanted to convey a sensibility around the idea of things not going to plan. I wanted people to do whatever their bodies told them. The pieces exuded a tempered allure to act on the viewer's desire. There was definitely a sexual undertone, yet playful, layered in the work. I think young age is often associated with a lack of constraints in an individual. However, I believe that at any age, one can feel liberated and connected to their truest self.

The very idea of a rebel culture certainly isn’t new. I truly know the experience of that movement. I feel the authentic and genuine will always rise to the top. It’s generational. It was such a fantastic opportunity to work with Marc and his team. I created various designs for a variety of silhouettes. Once again, Marc was open to my ideas, and we collectively arrived at what would be the visual ensemble of our pieces. The Tote Bag is so iconic, which is why it was so much fun to apply my imagery to denim and leather.

I have long been a fan of Marc and Ava's work. The first time we worked together was on set for the 2022 campaign — I was one of the models. Since then, I have been working with them as a freelance designer. Working together feels like a true collaboration. I think self-expression is one of the most powerful tools we have, whether it's grunge or any other subculture. 

My practice is all over the place. It's a collage of different mediums, tattoo, painting, design — I’m constantly drawing and playing with new ideas. I can't really keep still. The painting I made for this show took around three months to finalise. It's a solo work that encompasses most aspects of my current practice. I wanted to convey beauty and curiosity. 

The Heaven segment of Marc’s brand is relatable! I am still a rebellious young person full of angst. I spend a lot of time watching movies, reading old magazines, looking at retro sci-fi and beauty art. I'm inspired by outsider artists who create for no audience. I rarely find myself being that pure. I'm a showman. The pink paintings were produced as original artworks for the show, and I wanted to convey beauty through them. I have an affinity for bright, commercial, poppy colours. I watch a lot of cartoons and anime, which sinks into my psyche and informs my palette. I like having fun. 

I studied Fashion Illustration in college, although that major is no longer offered at my school. It was a rare specialty in a dying art. I have always had a love for fashion and drawing. I wanted to go to school for design but was intimidated by the math involved in sewing at the time. I'm not good at numbers. Now I feel more secure in my ability to sew and have taken some local courses. I love getting dressed up and I love going shopping. I'm a self-employed freelancer but sometimes I wear heels to my studio. I can’t help it. 

I would say my artistic practice is very emotional. Like, extremely so. I wouldn't say my art is really based around fashion, but I do have a strong visual language and style. I am starting a clothing-related project very soon though, so stay tuned. I used to be all about video for a second when I started my web show during Covid. It was a really good way for me to keep busy and excited while New York was turned upside down. I made my friends do silly things and we all had all the time in the world — we loved it! 

There was so much energy in the city that I feel like sort of died out, so I have not picked up the show in a while, hence I have turned to other mediums like sculpture, CMYK silkscreen, and my new project coming out. The show might come back because I am starting to feel inspired by NYC again but anyways, I would say my practice is quite fluid, I just try to lead with my heart whatever I am doing.

This was a photo my ex and I took in Florida on a road trip. We took it ourselves with his iPhone 4. I think I wanted people to feel whatever came up naturally as the piece is quite shocking. It's pretty heavy for me but also kind of funny? I saw a lot of girls staring and jaw dropped at the opening, which I liked. For people that are familiar with my work that is usually very sweet or friendship-oriented this may have been a surprise as it is a lot more risqué but hey, I am growing up. I put this piece in at a time where I was very emotional, and I didn't really care what people were going to think. I am really trying to convey what is in the title. Every day I have been trying to "let go and let god". By God I mean whatever you have faith in. It's important when your life changes drastically or during a heartbreak or whatever. I think it’s important to believe in something and let go. I still struggle with this. The subject matter of the piece was to maybe lighten the mood a bit and I just love the photo.

First of all, I really think Marc is so special. I grew up in the west village near all the stores in the early 2000s. There was nothing like it, I had all the little trinkets and totes and always took a picture with Santa Clause or the easter bunny there. Fashion was really wholesome in those days. I also really adore Ava, she is a long-time friend of mine and a true innovator. She shows me a lot of love and support, which I am very grateful for. Collaborating with the brand always feels very natural to me, it's up my alley.

I've always loved what Marc's created and admired him, especially when I too wanted to become a fashion designer, studying at Parsons. Through the years he's had so many different eras that were all different, but really just all authentically himself, just evolutionising through the years, if that makes sense.  Same but different – but same. I owe a lot to Ava as well because, similarly to what Marc had seen in Ava, she really took a leap of faith with my artwork and used it to help define the world of Heaven.   

The best part about the partnership is that it’s so easy. It never seems transactional. There are lots of surprises in how my artwork gets utilised on the garments they design and love the magic of that. It reminds me of that super innocent excitement that I'd get when I was back in my teens, flipping through things like Seventeen magazine. It's not supposed to be so serious; it’s fun. Also, the campaigns are SO SICK. As in, I love it every single time!! That’s the beauty and power of Marc's friends and community in the industry and in life. It goes the same with Ava and the rest of the creative teams that come together to make it soooo cool.

I named the piece in the show Guilty Conscience. The character will always be the first thing I draw. At one point in my life, I had this realisation that this little demon voice in my head will pretty much be in my life forever.  It’s a part of me, and I believe it’s in all of our lives. I had to understand that I shouldn't try to fight them and rather accept them and let them be part of your life. This kind of awareness really helped me in so many aspects and situations afterwards, but, you know, I still live with it. In the new piece in the show, I introduced a little pink ‘angel’. I think I have to still develop this one a bit more.  But I guess my thought on this character is, what is my little angel telling me to believe in?

Working with Ava is nice. I wish to convey genuine, unadulterated whimsy. I choose to work with silly characters in hopes to provide viewers with feelings of childlike wonder. My signature bear is the ultimate embodiment of everything I hold near to my heart. Combining sweetness with sassy sophistication to create work that is as emotionally engaging as it is visually striking

I’d describe my practice as bubblegum pop. I aim to create fantastical worlds populated by vibrant, cartoon-like characters. I draw inspiration from childhood memories by referencing popular cartoons, plush toys, and elements of 90s pop culture. My vibrant palettes and playful designs are inspired by comics and cartoons like Care Bears, My Little Pony and Lisa Frank. I love how Heaven takes inspiration from kitsch, wacky, and weird elements of youth culture that evoke a sense of nostalgia and joy.

As a lover of consumer culture and pop culture, Heaven makes me reflect on my youth, a time when I was sold the teenage dream and a y2k fantasy. Growing up in LA, I was exposed to diverse cultural influences and visual styles that deeply inform my work, particularly the lush outdoor settings of the Fairfax district. I loved walking past stores like B.B. Simon, becoming hypnotised by the glorious glittering crystals dance through the window. I loved watching all the cool kids and it-girls walk down Melrose like it was a runway. I obsessively collected Teen Vogues and fantasised about being the star of my own 00s pop dream fantasy. The best way to give the masses art is through pop culture, which is what I think is most important and truly resonates with me.