1984–1990s
A New York beginning
Jacobs developed a reputation for drawing on the clothes and culture around him. His grunge collection for Perry Ellis became an influential example of that approach.
The House & Its Designers
Marc Jacobs
New York · 1984
A New York sensibility with room for both experiment and everyday bags.
Marc Jacobs and Robert Duffy established their company in 1984. Jacobs’s work moves between elaborate runway ideas and direct, recognisable accessories, treating both as parts of the same fashion vocabulary.
11 photographs · Reviewed August 2026
Explore the history ↓
01 / The house
The story behind the name.
1997–2013
The Louis Vuitton years
Alongside his own label, Jacobs served as artistic director at Louis Vuitton. The role expanded his work into a global fashion house and major collaborations.
The bags
Direct, useful forms
The Snapshot and The Tote Bag show the accessible side of the label: clear silhouettes, visible branding and practical proportions. Earlier bags such as the Stam offer another view of its accessories history.
02 / The designers
The people who shaped the house.
Selected creative chapters; dates distinguish appointments from runway debuts.
Co-founder
Marc Jacobs
Draws on art, street style and fashion history, moving between highly expressive clothes and everyday accessories.
Co-founder
Robert Duffy
Built the business partnership that supported Jacobs’s design practice.
On the runway
Selected looks and details, matched to the house and season.
Marc Jacobs · Spring 2018 Ready To Wear
Marc Jacobs · Spring 2020 Ready To Wear
03 / The bags
A vocabulary in leather and form.
A selection of the house’s designs. Resale photographs illustrate individual examples; size, finish and condition vary.
01
The Tote Bag
A straightforward carryall with bold lettering that spells out its function.
02
Snapshot
A compact, two-compartment camera bag with double-J hardware.
03
Mini Tote
The Tote Bag’s rectangular shape and lettering in a smaller format.
04
Camera Bag
A compact zip-top crossbody designed around a camera-bag shape.
More designs to know
- Pillow Tote
- A padded interpretation of the label’s graphic tote.
- The Bucket
- A bucket-shaped design from the label’s everyday accessories range.
- J Marc
- A flap shoulder bag centred on the interlocking J clasp.
- Stam
- A quilted frame bag with a kiss-lock closure and chain strap.