Is Marc Jacobs A Luxury Brand? Here’s What You Need To Know
The gorgeous Marc Jacobs bags are a must-have in your wardrobe at the moment, but is Marc Jacobs a luxury brand? We’re here to answer that question!
Marc Jacobs is one of the top American fashion designers that has been creating striking collections including women’s ready-to-wear clothing, bags, sunglasses, and accessories for his own label since 1986. You may have seen the stylish and practical Marc Jacobs tote bag, in a range of colors and materials, all over your social media feeds recently and are thinking about adding to your own handbag collection.
This article answers the question, is Marc Jacobs a luxury brand, to give you all the important details you need to know about the brand. Some consider Marc Jacobs as a luxury brand since its collections are shown at New York Fashion Week each season, while others do not see Marc Jacobs as luxury because of the lower price point.
To answer the question of is Marc Jacobs a luxury brand, we will look at the history of the brand, and the quality of its products and take a closer look at some best-selling items before coming to a conclusion – so let’s get started!
Is Marc Jacobs A Luxury Brand?
The History of Marc Jacobs
Marc Jacobs studied at Parsons School of Design, winning the Design Student of the Year award in 1984, before launching his namesake brand in New York City in 1986. The first Marc Jacobs collection was a hit and he soon went on to be the youngest designer to win the Perry Ellis Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 1987.
While working as the head designer for Perry Ellis between 1988 and 1997 and the creative director for Louis Vuitton between 1997 and 2014, Jacobs continued his own womenswear collection and added a menswear collection to the label in 1994.
In 2001, a diffusion line, entitled Marc by Marc Jacobs was added to the brand but then was discontinued and merged with the main label in 2016, while in 2006 a fragrance line was added to the Marc Jacobs line.
In 2014, Jacobs left Louis Vuitton to focus on his own line, and over the years has dressed countless celebrities on the red carpet, has worked closely with models including Kate Moss and Iris Law, and created striking editorial campaigns and collections each season.
The Quality of Marc Jacobs
In order to work out whether Marc Jacobs can be considered a luxury brand, we need to take a look at the quality of Marc Jacobs’s products. This includes analyzing the price range, materials, and craftsmanship of Marc Jacobs pieces to see how they compare to well-established luxury brands in the fashion industry.
1. Price Range
Firstly, let’s look at the price range. The bags, which are one of the biggest sellers for the Marc Jacobs brand, are available for between $150 and $650, although the M Archive handbags go up to $1,495.
If you are looking at accessories, sunglasses retail for between $98 and $495, wallets and card holders range between $85 and $250, and shoes are available for anywhere between $150 and $550. There is a small ready-to-wear collection available from the Marc Jacobs brand, which is priced between $95 and $1,495.
As you can see, most pieces are available for under $1,000 and all items are less than $1,500, which is significantly more affordable than the clothing, bags, and accessories available from brands such as Louis Vuitton, Saint Laurent, and Gucci.
2. Materials
It’s important to consider the materials used when looking at the quality and luxury status of a brand. Many Marc Jacobs bags are made from leather, with full grain leather, saffiano leather, smooth leather, and lamb leather available – as you can see, Marc Jacobs does not state the exact type of leather, other than lamb leather, as many other luxury brands do when listing materials.
This makes it difficult to fully see the quality of Marc Jacobs’s bags. There are also handbags made from cotton canvas, woven jacquard, mesh, straw jacquard, and terry cotton in the collection too.
There are a range of materials used in the Marc Jacobs clothing collection too, namely nylon, cotton voile, cotton, lamb leather, PU, polyester, merino wool, and elastane. Due to the sculptural nature of many Marc Jacobs pieces, synthetic materials are often used to achieve the striking and bold silhouette, which means there are fewer pieces using natural fibers such as wool, cotton, or silk in the collection.
3. Craftsmanship
Lastly, we need to take into account the craftsmanship of Marc Jacobs’s products in comparison to luxury brands and fashion houses. It seems that Marc Jacobs bags are made in China, because of the lower manufacturing costs, but it is difficult to establish where Marc Jacobs clothes are made – it could be China, America, or Italy.
The bags that are made in China will be of great quality and will stand the test of time, but may not be the same high quality as Gucci, Chanel, or Prada bags that are made in France and Italy.
Best Selling Marc Jacobs products
There are so many stunning pieces available from Marc Jacobs, so we have picked some of our favorites that we think you need in your life!
1. Tote Bags
The Marc Jacobs Tote bag has become an iconic designer bag because of its chic design that suits any outfit and practical interior that can hold all your weekend or workday essentials. There is a whole range of different Tote Bags available now, in a variety of colors, materials, and sizes, but we are just focussing on the classic, best-selling totes – including the canvas Marc Jacobs The Medium Tote Bag.
This tote is crafted from canvas, available in blue, green, beige, and black, each with the instantly recognizable Marc Jacobs Tote Bag logo on the front. We love that this tote has top handles and a detachable shoulder strap for versatility, while the interior has a zip top to allow easy access to the roomy interior, with a zipper pocket and two wall pockets. This irresistible tote is available for just $195.
There is also a leather version available if you are looking for something a little smarter, more durable, and more luxurious. The bag has the same design and beloved features, this time just made from supple leather and embossed with the Marc Jacobs branding. The leather tote comes in black or grey to suit any look and retails for $450.
2. Shoulder Bags
For something a little smaller, go for the Marc Jacobs The Snapshot Bag – perfect for everyday use! This compact shoulder bag can fit a lot inside, with a surprisingly spacious interior fitted with two compartments and a slip pocket.
The leather bag is decorated with a gleaming gold double J logo and fitted with an adjustable and removable strap, featuring the Marc Jacobs brand name, that can be worn on the shoulder or across the body. There are black or navy editions available on Nordstrom, or plenty more colors available on Neiman Marcus.
The Marc Jacobs The Leather Bucket Bag is another super stylish bag available from the American fashion brand, that looks stunning but is super versatile too. This minimalist and sleek bucket bag is crafted from pebbled leather and embossed with ‘The Bucket Marc Jacobs’ on the front for a striking look.
The gold hardware adds a glamorous touch, while the black and white top handle and detachable shoulder strap guarantee plenty of styling options for both day and night. The drawstring closure means quick access to the lined interior, the perfect size for your everyday essentials.
3. Sunglasses
Marc Jacobs also offers chic sunglasses in a range of fashionable silhouettes and colours so there is something to suit any personal style. A favorite of ours is these Marc Jacobs 56mm Rectangular Sunglasses, which are so trendy at the moment, with the sleek, 90s-inspired silhouette and tortoiseshell frames.
The warm brown and amber tones of the acetate frames perfectly complement the brown lenses, while the gold double J logo on the arms adds a glam touch.
Bold, square sunglasses, like these Marc Jacobs 53mm Gradient Polarized Square Sunglasses, are a must-have in your summer wardrobe!
These gorgeous sunglasses have thick glossy black acetate square frames with gold accents at the temples and along the arms for a sparkling touch. The sunglasses are then finished with grey gradient lenses, with 100% UV protection, for a polished finish.
Conclusion
There are so many gorgeous and irresistible pieces available from Marc Jacobs, but after looking at the quality of the brand, we can see that it is not a true luxury brand. The price range, materials, and craftsmanship are more in line with affordable luxury brands or high-end brands such as Tory Burch, Michael Kors, and Kate Spade.
If you are looking for affordable, stylish, and practical handbags, that will suit day and night looks, then Marc Jacobs is a fantastic brand to go for. The Marc Jacobs Tote Bag, in particular, is a worthy investment!
We hope you have found this article answering the question, is Marc Jacobs a luxury brand, helpful! For more luxury fashion content, check out the links below.
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