Another day, another series of quotes from “look at me, look at me” designer Marc Jacobs. This time the designers dishing on his relationship with Louis Vuitton, on making Tom Ford his bitch, and his lack of inspiration.

Personally, I’m a bit tired of Marc constant need to say shit. Get back to work motherfucker. The clothes won’t design themselves. And leave Preston. We saw the tape. We’re not impressed.

On designing his first ready-to-wear collection as the newly appointed creative director of Louis Vuitton in 1997:

“This Vuitton thing was scary … Suddenly you’re on the Paris stage, with this huge name. I felt so paralyzed by it. That first collection was a no-win situation. I thought, if I give them what they expect, they’ll be disappointed because they wanted to be surprised. If I give them a surprise, they’ll be disappointed because it wasn’t what they were expecting.”

On the difficulties of getting his spring 2001 Stephen Sprouse monogram collection for Louis Vuitton produced:

“I don’t understand corporate people — I always say the design team’s on the second floor and the corporate people are on the fifth floor, and it might as well be the distance between here and Mars … The press reaction to all that graffiti was so amazing … [but] they bitched and moaned, [saying] ‘we’re not going to do it’. I just couldn’t believe it … at the time, that’s how narrow-minded they were … [but] $300 million later, they think it’s a good idea!”

On hiring Tom Ford to design denim for Perry Ellis when Jacobs headed the label:

“Tom was a different person then … Tom was this very, very sort of haughty, tasteful person, very Waspy … or that’s what he was affecting at that moment. I thought it would be great to do a jean line with someone who has a very sophisticated mind.”

On what fashion really is all about:

“When I trust my own whims, and the whims of people I trust, I feel that has credibility … Belief is embedded in everything you do — so it doesn’t actually matter whether people like it. I guess what we do, as a team, is a daily, weekly, monthly re-evaluation of whims.”

The quote that will make you say “word”:

“I can’t bear it when designers go on about inspiration … If a girl wants to wear it and feels good then who cares?”

Source NYMag.com

Pretty darn similar.Photo: Nadiaplesner.com, Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

The Louis Vuitton vs. Nadia Plesner battle is heating up, with the Danish art student questioning what can be considered art and the house of Marc trying to not seem like the bad guys while protecting their copyrights.

New York Magazine offered and insightful look at the lawsuit and how Louis was only taking the most logical step after dealing with an artist that refused to cease and desist. It’s one for the textbooks and will most likely  prevent other artists from messing with the Vuitton’s of the world any time soon. The full story below…

Earlier this week we ran a Q&A with Nadia Plesner, the Danish art student embroiled in a copyright lawsuit with Louis Vuitton. She created an image depicting a Darfurian child holding a bag based on a Louis Vuitton design for a campaign to raise awareness of the ongoing genocide in Darfur. Her message is that we care more about items like the Vuitton purse and the celebrities that carry them than serious issues like Darfur. Today a spokeswoman from Louis Vuitton rang us up to offer their side of the story.

She said the fashion house initially did not ask for damages when it noticed the colors and design of the bag in Plesner’s painting appeared to be an exact copy of the Audra bag pictured above. They sent Plesner a letter asking her to respect the rights of other artists like Louis Vuitton creative director Marc Jacobs and artist Takashi Murakami, who designed the bag. Plesner didn’t respond to the letter but continued her campaign and posted the letter on her Website. The spokeswoman also noted when Plesner started the campaign, she was donating 30 percent of the profits from the sale of T-shirts and posters with the image (now her Website says she’s donating 100 percent of the profits).

Since Plesner didn’t respond to Louis Vuitton, the house went to court in Paris to file an injunction. On March 25 the court declared the image was a clear infringement of Louis Vuitton’s copyright on the bag and ordered Plesner to cease and desist. When Plesner ignored this injunction, Louis Vuitton took further action and asked for 5,000 euros for each day she continued to sell the product (just under $7,700; some erroneous reports say $20,000 a day). “If companies don’t take action to protect trademarks, it’s harder to do so in the future,” the spokeswoman said. “I just think the way she’s portraying this she’s not telling what Louis Vuitton did to prevent the lawsuit.”

She added Louis Vuitton is not trying to stop Plesner’s campaign and hopes to find a solution to allow it to continue without infringing on Louis Vuitton’s intellectual-property rights.

First Gucci calls and invites me to their Madonna/Malawi Gala.

Then American Express makes nice for canceling our Peter Som invite by giving us VIP seats at Zac Posen.

Now Louis Vuitton has invited us to a breakfast with their CEO.

Somebody pinch me. I think I’ve died and gone to fashion heaven.

The house of Jacobs plans to play nice with a few fashion bloggers by letting us enjoy pancakes and OJ with
Louis Vuitton America’s main honcho.  We’ll give you the full report from our breakfast till next week, but just feel happy that you’re one of the few folks who get to live vicariously though us. Yeah, I know, you’re fucking jealous.

How’s this?

If we get anything at the event we’ll give it away on FashionIndie.com. Promises. Sound like a fair compremise.

Check us out next week for the full story on our Louis Vuitton’s/Fashion Indie lovefest.

Looking stylish would probably be the least of your worries during a terrorist attack, but then again you’re not Paris Hilton. Trendsetters like her might trade in your duct tape and Cipro for the Urban Security Suit. Designed by Tim Smit, the USS is made of neoprene, though it’s also lined with body-molded Kevlar to ensure you can stop bullets while turning heads. There is also a gas mask, in case of deadly chemical release into the air.

And if the USS isn’t your cub of fashion, there are always the rifles, chainsaws, machine guns, and artillery shells. But, these aren’t your normal army weapons, these are branded with big designer names: Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Fendi, not exactly what you would imagine for a rocket launcher or an electric chair, but way more stylish than the AK-47. There is also a Pac-Man grenade!

Louis Vuitton for Guantamano Bay

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54QslBU1bK0[/youtube]

Remember that Keith Richards Louis Vuitton ad?  Well this is the video for the much hyped ad campaign with the aging rock star.  Enjoy and then try to figure out why the hell Louis Vuitton suddenly sucks and can only be relevant when hyping collections from past seasons in Brooklyn Art Museums. Get back on the needle Marc. We need some inspiring ad campaigns pronto.

Interesting interview I found courtesy of TimesOnline.

At 64, Keith Richards hasn’t mellowed. With Shine A Light, Martin Scorsese’s documentary on the Rolling Stones, recently released, he could focus on the autobiography he is co-writing with James Fox, the author of White Mischief. Or he could begin cataloging his 3,000 guitars. Either way, he won’t worry much about the planet, despite starring in the recent Louis Vuitton ad, for which service Vuitton donated a fee to Al Gore’s Foundation.

“I’ve been invented by the media. I’m just a minstrel. I didn’t want to be a rock star, just play music. I realized that to do that, you had to be famous. It has nothing to do with wanting to be a star.”

“Bill Wyman is the biggest dandy. But Charlie Watts is the most stylish member. He spends his time on the beauty and the cut of clothing. There he is on Savile Row, and I’m the fashion icon? When I got older I wore my old lady’s clothes. If you notice, all the buttons are the other side.”

” I wore whatever my mother put me in when I was little. Boring shorts and wee T-shirts. I wore school uniforms. I hated brown shoes. I started dressing up when I had to find what fitted. Fashion thinks more about me than what I think about it. I just wore what I wore and people noticed. The sexiest thing a woman could wear? Being stark f***ing naked.”

“Show me a woman who is faithful, and I won’t believe you.”

“I don’t do underwear. I never do the washing. How would I know whether my clothes stink? I throw them away.”

“I love books … a well-dressed mind! Patrick O’Brian, Milton and Shakespeare are my favorite writers. And then the Bible. King Lear is my favorite character who isn’t insane. It’s only people who are insane who think they’re not.

“Skulls remind us that underneath it all, we are all the same. Beauty is only skin-deep.”

“I can’t say I’m bothered about the fate of the planet. I got a guitar case out of Louis Vuitton. They paid me a lot of money and it’s all going to charity. I’m going to charity.”

We love The Satchel for his ability to catch things like this. Apparently New Era has decided to copy the iconic Louis Vuitton print for a new like of signature caps.  The bootleg print is by Olako’aka, which means we know who to blame for being unoriginal and stealing from the Marc. The best part is Hyperbeast’s quote on the subject, “This version emulates a LV pattern so this satisfies those with a luxurious taste as well as those seeking traditional cultural satisfaction.”  So basically, we know it’s a bootleg, you know it’s a bootleg, but since Jacobs refuses to create a line of hats to match the Chinatown knock-off you got her for Christmas, this is all we can give you.

Louis fever hits overdrive this week. Counterfeit Chic spotted this little art piece that comments to womens desires to have pets as accessories. Shockingly, this one of a kind will run you a couple thousand less than a comparably sized Louis Vuitton.

Marc Jacobs & Friends (should totally be the name of his rumored reality show) partied the night away at the Brooklyn Museum to kick off its new Louis Vuitton-sponsored exhibit on artist Takashi Murakami. Jacobs finally came to his senses and got rid of the blue hair and obnoxious boy candy. His attempt to look cool with a 5AM shadow was truly failed since the dye he used on the doo could help hide his graying face pubes. Better look next time Marky. (P.S. Since you’re on the whole midlife crisis kick, it might be time to retire the green Miami Vice jacket and invest in some minor Botox around the crows feet. Also, the cool kids haven’t been wearing studs since high school.)

Check out more picts after the jump. NOW WITH FUNNIER COMMENTARY!!!

This exhibit is worth it’s gum dropped weight in neon plastic. If you know anything about Takashi Murakami, then you probably know the the label “Japanese Warhol,” too.

And if you’ve heard anything about this show, you’ve probably heard about the Louis Vuitton shop, hawking the artist’s collaborations with the fashion label.  Yeah, folks if you missed out on the now sold out collaboration, this is your chance to pick up some ebay worthy finds.

The surface-obsessed Murakami calls the store “the heart of the exhibition,” but the more than 90 career-spanning works that you’ll also find here—who can forget the anime girl jumping a rope fashioned from the milk spurting from her oversize breasts?—should help lay bare the artist prone to making just such a seamlessly “controversial” claim.

Brooklyn Museum 200 Eastern Pkwy., Brooklyn, NY 11238 at Washington Ave 718-638-5000

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mha26vA-tkw[/youtube]

Even after all these years, Louis Vuitton’s blockbuster collaboration with Takashi Murakami continues to wet the panties of bagaholics. Those who didn’t get to buy some of the special accessories at Murakami’s recent Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art retrospective will get a second chance next month, when the exhibit moves to the Brooklyn Museum on April 5.

WWD reports that Vuitton is opening a store offering a mix of multicolor monogram handbags and small leather goods, as well as actual limited edition art canvasses with a new design by Murakami and Marc Jacobs called “Monogramouflage.”

They will preview a new Vuitton collection, which will launch in the Brooklyn store on June 1, and be sold at select Vuitton stores worldwide starting June 15. The exhibit will kick off on April 3 with a “Brooklyn Ball” featuring a special performance by Kanye West. But the pièce de résistance may come from the French luxury leather goods house itself, which is cooking up a special performance that evening to raise attention to the worldwide problem of counterfeits, though the company remained tight-lipped about details. That said, sales from the Brooklyn Museum’s store that night will benefit the Federal Enforcement Homeland Security Foundation.

When preparing to become a fashion person, a normal person will spend about 70% of their education obsessing about one designer, Marc Jacobs. A name synonymous with Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Ghandi, and Jesus, Marc Jabobs is worshiped by fashion people for his collections heralding of the new design frontier and for being the only American accepted by the French (Jacobs runs design at Parisian fashion house, Louis Vuitton, which makes handbags and other over-priced unnecessities.) His shows are frequented by a who’s who of celebrities and hanger-ons (yes, we’re talking about you Courtney Love), who will wait for hours upon hours for show to begin.

If you ever plan to become a fashion person, you must know Marc Jacobs. Granted most of his work is a bit overrated and, true, if you compared him to other big designers, his overall influence to the world of fashion is neligable (unless you consider making “grunge” expensive an accomplishment), but never, ever, under any circumstances say this to a fashion person. Such remarks are considered heresy and could result in a public flogging or worse, expulsion to the standing room section of a New York fashion show.

The best way to reference Jacobs is as gospel. Statements like “Marc F:07 reminded us of the importance of accessories. Praise Marc.” or “Marc S:05 gave new meaning to the mini. Praise Marc.” are acceptable ways to reference the designer while still maintaining your respect for his divinity.

Fashion people love to feel some connection to the designer, at times feeling like their prayers have been answered when a certain piece comes down his runway.  You will often see fashion people jumping around and speaking in tongues (preferably French) during his shows, as if the spirit of Jacobs has magically entered them.  Do not be afraid when this happens, just join them and hopefully the spirit will enter you as well.

It is always smart to assume a fashion person is wearing Marc Jacobs. When you approach one ask them if the skirt/jeans/strap-on they have on is from the designer. They will most likely say yes, even if the piece is actually from H&M or a Forever 21 knock-off.

Other things to keep in mind is Jacobs persistently over-the-top parties. Getting invited to such an event is cause for celebration, as you will most likely see the designer in some ridiculous get-up, a humble reminder to his followers that he is in fact human and has a wonderful sense-of-humor.  Previous costumes have included dressing like a pigeon, a camel toe, and more recently a twink.