The man is back. In a sign of strength and transformation designer Marc Jacobs presented a collection that was so much more than just another fashion show.

Picking up sticks and leaving the Armory where for years he would present his signature collection, the designer decided to take his show on the road. Fittingly, for a man known for his love of theatrics, he went with the famed Ziegfeld Theater as his new venue of choice.

Finally, Jacobs’s years doing double duty designing for Louis Vuitton as well as his own label are well and truly behind him. He has also made the smart business move to consolidate his secondary Marc by Marc Jacobs collection into his main line. So now the man and the brand are streamlined, focused, and ready for a bit of fun.

And so it was that Jacobs created a bombastic collection that was a patriotic display of Americana and an ode to classic cinema crafted as if seen through the eyes of John Waters, with Beth Ditto incarnating the role of Divine.  Stars and Stripes sparkled on a fringe festooned jacket. Red, white, and blue came in 4th of July firework embroideries, as striped pants and as geometric sequins on pleated skirts. Then there were the 40s inspired sailor suits topped off with sequined swans stitched into the back and varsity letterman jackets covered in patches and the word rainbow written across the shoulders.  

This was America at its most exuberant, even if the models seemed to have gotten the message to go with a RBF expression on their face. But if the models didn’t look like they were having any fun in the live images projected on the theater’s big screen as they walked a red carpet gauntlet before finally making it into the main venue, the audience certainly was. Between the free popcorn, candy and drinks, a souvenir t-shirt, and a bottle of the designer’s new fragrance called Decadence given out to everyone, it’s understandable that guests were feeling very festive indeed.

And just like Jacob’s new perfume, this collection was Decadent. It was also audacious, brash, and dramatic. But best of all, it was original.