Marc Jacobs’ Trilogy: Fear In Three Acts
Oh, that Marc Jacobs. He is truly a darling and his last three ginormous collections attest to that.
While other houses are still cooking up their NYFW Spring/Summer presentations, Jacobs gamboled out like a lion cub who just had his meal. A hypercarnivore, indeed. For fashion, fun and life.
Giant sequins, ultra-voluminous shoulders and colossal poufs declared that there is no famine of courage at Marc Jacobs International.
The Magazine found it difficult to ignore a terrifically Kafkaesque composition. The clothes and staging were expectedly enchanting, with drops of surprises. Yet, that is not the energy that impelled the writing of this article.
Marc Jacobs said that fear was his companion.
Well, well, well Mr. Jacobs, it seems you have inaugurated your Dosha Dressing epoch.
“Fear is not my enemy- it is a necessary companion to creativity, authenticity, integrity and life.”
THE SCIENCE
As a true creative, Marc Jacobs is working with, not against, his Vata element of fear and anxiety.
Humans are not animals preying through Indian jungles. We are animals in Vogue-approved clothes who either lie in wait or a functional fetal position in the concrete jungle. Therefore, lovelies, the fear brain circuit tends to 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 like Philip Glass’s “Knee Play 5” (Einstein on the Beach).
The ceaseless response to fear of rejection, criticism and uncertainty forms a prolonged rhythm without inserting a resolution check-point. Creative and profitable expectations are akin to nerves propagating electrical messages in continuous motion when their receptor connection signals them to keep producing. This pressure can crash the nervous system and personal harmony. Unless, one does as Marc Jacobs: recognize how to work the positive and the negative. The last three collections are evidence that Jacobs clearly appreciates the need for fear- emotionally and cognitively.
Marc Jacobs’ cognitive functions learned to survive under the pressure of uncertainty.
How scary is it to work in produce or perish fields, like fashion and academia? The constant threat compromises the ability to adapt and survive. Failure to repeatedly deliver bankable products means a re-route through the Enter sign. This can increase unnecessary anxiety which has negative consequences on aging and the entire system. Jacobs’ perception of fear has a dual translation: his fear circuit has highly adapted to high levels of anxiety and his gut biome is protective against anxiety. But, his approach does not ensure anti-longevity cortisol is not high, just that it is controlled.
Several behaviors are influenced in this situation to cope: appetite (take a meal or drugs instead of working), aversion (high anxiety prevents work), and cognitive (cannot remember the new technique). The fear circuit differs from the anxiety and worry circuit though some philosophies undifferentiate the two. The provocation underlies the contrast- ‘will I get fired at this moment in Arnault’s office’ or ‘how much longer will they let me design real-life doll dresses’, respectively.
“Marc Jacobs once again demonstrates how to be gracefully fun.”
Fear is helpful at levels that accommodate adaption and response without damaging the brain, heart and stomach. Anxiety overload causes molecular changes in the hippocampus, weakening memory, sleep and learning. Also, the HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) axis constantly responds to what it thinks is fear. This, for example, leads to unhealthy lifestyle choices even under low pressure. An old documentary on Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton reveals his balanced GI-focused diet and supplement regimen. This was at a time when he was leading two teams on every detail from the big picture to the weight of thread while regularly traveling between two continents to make a multi-billion-dollar empire empire-ing. Jacobs’ amygdala acquired and stored the memory of going awry at Louis Vuitton forever before that. His hypothalamus and hippocampus now respond with a newly formed coping mechanism. A healthy large intestinal biome promotes healthy cortisol levels which decreases anxiety and increases memory. Putting vision into action instead of delving into old harmful habits adds discipline to Vata’s chaos-loving life.
Aside from his creativity and wit, Marc Jacobs has adapted to uncertainty through his love for it. He has been going on 40-years, after all. The connection of Jacobs’ last three shows to the underlying meaning of Glass’s Portrait Trilogy is hard to ignore: Piano Solo Metamorphosis: One (Spring/Summer 2024 “nostalgic requiem”), Einstein on the Beach Act III: Scene I Trial/Prison (Fall/Winter 2024 ‘masculine meets feminine’), and Einstein on the Beach Knee Play 5 (Spring/Summer 2025 “Courage”). The constant asks produce changes and finally surrender. The latter is when the best creativity comes to life. Moondog’s New Amsterdam would have underscored the transformative nature of the collections. Robert Therrien, Disney and Marie Antoinette signify his longevity, beginnings and authenticity.
The Magazine’s 8 favorite looks from the show are Dohsa Dressing at its largest:
Look 1 square roots structured equaling what Vata needs most. Maroon and pink unite to ground and calm. The textures are also heavy (trousers) and soft (sweater) to offer the same functions on proprietary Vata emotional fears.
Look 7 dresses creative Vata in self-possessed lilac.Always with her head in the clouds, this shade of purple brings her focus to the crown chakra. The heavy boots add grounding to these mean streets.
Look 18 de-jejunes grey days. Structure and fluff give seriously unserious life to Ms. Executive Cognition Pitta.
Look 22 is by far the finest transcription of the ubiquitous animal print that has populated the concrete jungle. Marc really said, oh, you girls wanna play with animal-print coats? Let’s go Tridoshic style!
Look 27 takes circular reasoning of the basic black dress to spectacular interpretation. This tamasic piece gives tridoshic balancing because of the fun nature and shape in a basic color.
Looks 28 + 29 enunciated sparkle in all caps! Pitta rajasic red and heady purple work together like courage and fear to make a bubblicious time.
Look 31 let Vata and Kapha girls take their fluffy down comforter on the requisite freezing February night out. Velvet maroon allays nervous shivers and homebody yearnings.
BOTTOM LINE
Marc Jacobs is not defensively responding to unpredictable threats that periodically pop up. Discipline has transformed his cognitive processes so that, like Glass’s messaging, the power of his ideas continues to shine through a chaotic sense of being. Instead of responding with appetite-pleasing (HPA) actions, cognitive-functioning (hippocampus) nailed it. His hormones are not controlling negative Vata anxiety reaction to the possibility of being exiled. Finding and practicing a harmony between gratification and antipathy is a growth that outsizes his runway looks. Jacobs has added a dose of prediction to his life- husband, house, dog, manicure.
Jacobs, as unintentional as it is, sets an example in terms of realizing potential and goals- you do or you don’t. Often, fear fills mind space without being real in the context of productivity. Everyone is scared of being irrelevant and embarrassed, of losing what they know and love. In fashion (and science), nobody cares if you die. Just that you are good enough to make one entity money and another entity spend money. Navigate your way out like a Marc Jacobs Mickey Mouse on an elevated plus maze.
He may also be saying something about politics, but that is not The Magazine’s business at this time.
