In the midst of the fashion world’s brief pause between Men’s and Couture weeks, Marc Jacobs has staged a spectacular reminder that New York City still has the power to command attention. With the New York Public Library as his grand backdrop, Jacobs has unveiled his Fall 2025 collection, a visual feast where fantasy collides with exaggerated form, an evolution of his past collections.
Jacobs’ latest offering, simply titled Beauty, explores the boundaries of proportion and perception. Victorian influences are unmistakable –high necklines, lacework, and corseted forms– but they’re warped into something altogether more surreal. Giant bows sprout from backs and bustles, while padded hips disrupt traditional shapes. The opening look set the tone: ballooning cargo trousers paired with a sheer, violet lace bodysuit, worn with gravity-defying platform shoes. Alex Consani, one of the night’s most memorable presences, glided through the space like a porcelain doll reimagined for a sci-fi opera, following this evolving storyline of looks that are now Jacob’s statement codes.
Though theatrical in scale, there is a raw sincerity beneath the extravagance. Jacobs’ work feels like a meditation on beauty in its most abstract sense: strange, imperfect, and oddly moving. Elements that might have read as costume in another designer’s hands are elevated here into symbols of unfiltered creativity. Cartoonish footwear, oversized detailing, and erratic tailoring give the collection a dreamlike edge, pushing fashion into the realm of fantasy without losing its emotional weight. It isn’t nostalgia, nor parody; it is a bold, beautifully twisted vision of what beauty can mean in 2025.
