Marc Jacobs's Latest Show Proved That Sometimes, Bigger Is Better
The beauty of a Marc Jacobs show lies in his ability to choose. Will he wipe last season's slate and begin anew? Or will he continue to percolate on design ideas and see how far he can push them? This evening was a combination of both. True to his word, the show began at 7:30 P.M. sharp. By 7:36, 19 looks later, it felt like it had all been a dream.
It's no secret that Jacobs has played with proportion and dimension over his past few collections. His models often look doll-like, their exaggerated silhouettes and cartoonish beauty frozen in time like a high-fashion Flat Stanley. This season, those ideas expanded—quite literally—offering further iterations of these bulbous shapes through round, pinup-like silhouettes, plumply padded hips, boxy drop waistlines, and vacuously large puffed shoulders. The haunting aura of these twisted bodies was emphasized by music that can only be described as the ambience to an abandoned antique doll house.
Via both material and styling, there was a noticeable added element of destruction that pointed towards a more punk-rock attitude, even within the still-picturesque silhouettes. Where his previous collection felt like a study in dressing classic American icons, this one was more like its rebellious younger sibling who grew up all too fascinated with the spooky eccentricities of A Series of Unfortunate Events.
In true punk fashion, Victorian and romantic silhouettes were constructed, twisted, and then undone before our very eyes. The necklines were high; the heels were higher. Bows were blown up (in case anyone thought the motif had gone away), lace was erratically layered over undergarments, and pearls were draped across a bullet bra-esque bustier.
What this season offers is a master class in deconstruction, as Jacobs has now portrayed two sides of the same doll-like coin. All that's left is for you to choose.
Alexandra Hildreth is the Fashion News Editor at ELLE. She is fascinated by style trends, industry news, shake-ups, and The Real Housewives. Previously, she attended the University of St Andrews in Scotland. Following graduation, she moved back to New York City and worked as a freelance journalist and producer.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
an hour ago
- Chicago Tribune
Biblioracle: Dana A. Williams tells the tale of the indomitable Toni Morrison in ‘Toni at Random'
I'm well acquainted with the fact that Toni Morrison is the greatest American writer of my lifetime. I know this because I've read her books, but I could also point to a little something called the Nobel Prize in literature, which she was awarded in 1993. I also know that for a number of years in the early 1970s, just as she was publishing her first novels, Morrison worked as an editor at Random House, shepherding books by luminaries like Angela Davis and Muhammad Ali (among many others) to publication. Previously, this fact was a curio, a trivia question of the 'Did you know?' variety, but thanks to a new book from Dana A. Williams, 'Toni at Random: The Iconic Writer's Legendary Editorship,' I have a new appreciation not just for Toni Morrison the writer and editor, but for the work of writing and editing in general. Williams, a professor of African American literature and graduate school dean at Howard University, has crafted a book that manages to satisfy as narrative, literary analysis and cultural criticism, offering multiple points of entry for different readers in search of different things. The acknowledgements reveal that the book is 20 years or more in the making and it shows in a book written with great knowledge, deep feeling and a sense of purpose. In this way, Williams mimics the work of her subject. At its heart, 'Toni at Random' feels like the tale of the 'indomitable Ms. Morrison,' as Williams draws on correspondence and interviews with Morrison to unfurl the tale of a Black woman trying to make space for Black writers in an overwhelmingly white industry. Random House is portrayed as open, even eager to publish Black writers in the immediate wake of the Civil Rights Movement and the rise of the Black Arts Movement of poets like Amiri Baraka and Nikki Giovanni. But Morrison is also swimming against the realities of business and culture, where sales and profit are paramount, and many believe there isn't a sufficient audience for books by Black authors that don't have obvious appeal to white readers. Carefully, tactically, inexorably, Morrison seeks to challenge this notion while championing writers she sees as unimpeachable in terms of originality and artistry. This included writers like Toni Cade Bambara (who became Morrison's lifelong friend), Gayl Jones (of whose talent Morrison was envious) and Leon Forrest (legendary Chicago writer and longtime professor at Northwestern). Williams shows how savvy and even calculating Morrison was as she positioned these books for the best chance of success in the marketplace, pursuing blurbs from luminaries like James Baldwin, and horse-trading for pre-publication publicity and review attention. Her attention to detail extended even to a book's interior design. We learn how Morrison would alternately massage the egos of authors or challenge them to step up the diligence and quality of their work. When she felt her acuity as an editor was being questioned, she would respond with sly barbs asserting her authority. Williams ingeniously structures the book around different threads of Morrison's editorial work, non-fiction, fiction, a whole chapter on Ali, another on Davis, and others. The chronology weaves back and forth, but we're never lost. Periodically, we're reminded that while all this is happening, Morrison is also writing and publishing 'The Bluest Eye,' 'Sula,' and 'Song of Solomon,' establishing herself as a major literary figure in her own right. As Williams reveals the inside story of the publishing of some of these books, I kept underlining titles, thinking my next step is to find copies so I can read them and see what Morrison saw. John Warner is the author of books including 'More Than Words: How to Think About Writing in the Age of AI.' You can find him at Book recommendations from the Biblioracle John Warner tells you what to read based on the last five books you've read. 1. 'Spooky Great Lakes' retold by S.E. Schlosser 2. 'Howard's End' by E.M. Forster 3. 'Disappearing Earth' by Julia Phillips 4. 'Bastard Out of Carolina' by Dorothy Allison 5. 'Forward Progress: Confessions from a Rookie College Football Official' by Todd SkaggsFor Tom, I'm going to recommend a highly entertaining tale of adventure and revenge by a writer like no other, 'True Grit' by Charles Portis. 1. 'The Tsar of Love and Techno' by Anthony Marra 2. 'Cosmicomics' by Italo Calvino 3. 'In the Distance' by Hernán Díaz 4. 'The Sympathizer' by Viet Thanh Nguyen 5. 'The Orphan Master's Son' by Adam JohnsonLyle doesn't seem to mind a book with some quirks. 'May We Be Forgiven' by A.M. Homes is near the top of my list of books where you're never on totally solid ground. A wonderful sensation if you're in the right headspace for it. 1. 'I Heard Her Call My Name' by Lucy Sante 2. 'A Field Guide for Getting Lost' by Rebecca Solnit 3. 'Ongoingness: The End of a Diary' by Sarah Manguso 4. 'Miracles' by C.S. Lewis 5. 'Bluets' by Maggie NelsonSome searching writing about life and identity in this list. This brings to mind a favorite of mine, even though the beliefs and life of this author are entirely different from my own: 'The Seven Storey Mountain' by Thomas Merton. Get a reading from the Biblioracle Send a list of the last five books you've read and your hometown to biblioracle@
Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
Melania Trump Copies Husband's Signature Dance in 4th of July Celebration
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. First lady Melania Trump appeared to mimic her husband's iconic 'Trump dance' on the White House balcony on Friday evening from which the couple watched an Independence Day fireworks display over the nation's capital. Newsweek contacted the White House for comment via online inquiry form on Saturday outside of regular office hours. Why It Matters Following his November 2024 presidential election victory, numerous videos of Trump performing his dance, which saw him shaking his hips while alternately punching each of his fists out, went viral on social media. The dance was often accompanied by the hit "YMCA," which developed into an unofficial Trump anthem. What To Know Trump stood next to his wife on the White House balcony while watching a fireworks display held to celebrate the 249th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence on Friday. At one point, while "YMCA" was played through a speaker, Trump broke into his signature dance while wearing a white 'Make America Great Again' hat. To cheers from the assembled crowd, Melania then appeared to mimic her husband's dance, though, unlike him, she kept her palms outstretched rather than scrunched up in a fist. A clip of Melania dancing was posted on X, formerly Twitter, by Fox News, where it received more than 16,900 views and 174 likes from other users. File photo: Donald and Melania Trump watch the Fourth of July Celebration Fireworks from the White House in Washington, D.C., on July 4, 2025. File photo: Donald and Melania Trump watch the Fourth of July Celebration Fireworks from the White House in Washington, D.C., on July 4, 2025. JIM WATSON/AFP/GETTY Friday also saw Trump sign his landmark 'Big Beautiful Bill' into law after it was narrowly approved by the House on Thursday. The legislation includes significant tax cuts, increased funding for the military and border control, and a tightening of eligibility for Medicaid and food stamps. Speaking to crowds on Friday at the White House, Trump said: "This bill includes the largest tax cut in American history, the largest spending cut in American history, the largest border security investment in American history. "We're adding things like the biggest tax cut in the history of our country, a child tax credit," the president said. "So many things are being added that we wouldn't even have time to discuss them when we were doing it." Over the past few months, the Trump dance has been replicated by sporting figures including UFC and WWE fighters. What People Are Saying On X, Monica Crowley, a Trump supporter who currently serves as chief of protocol of the United States, wrote: "Not the first lady @MELANIATRUMP doing the Trump YMCA dance." She added fire, face with tears of joy and American flag emoji. Political commentator Nick Sortor wrote: "NOW: President Donald Trump and Melania do the Trump dance on the balcony as the Marine band plays to commemorate Independence Day. "So thankful these two are living in the White House!" he added. What Happens Next The likelihood is that the Trump dance will continue to be performed going forward both by the president himself and those who think it is iconic and/or wish to demonstrate support.
Boston Globe
3 hours ago
- Boston Globe
A Napoleon from Long Island meets his Waterloo
'For me, it's not a problem,' Springuel said. 'But the public doesn't expect that from Napoleon,' he said. For the 210th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, the organizers held their biggest reenactment in a decade, with 2,200 actors restaging the battle last weekend before 17,000 spectators. Advertisement Mark Schneider, born on Long Island, New York, secured the job over other would-be Napoleons, including from Belgium and Italy, in part because of his unrivaled ability to command respect on the battlefield, several organizers said. 'Even though it's 200-plus years later, they look to me as their Napoleon, and I look to them as my Grande Armée,' said Schneider, 55. For anyone who had an issue with his American accent, well, 'haters gonna hate,' said Schneider, who lives in Williamsburg, Virginia, where he works as a historian and professional actor. He added that Napoleon himself, born in Corsica, spoke French with an Italian accent (especially when angry), so 'it's very Napoleon to speak French with an accent.' Many of the reenactors' assignments aligned with their nationalities: German and Polish reenactors formed the Prussian battalions, British fought with the British, and French with the French. But there were exceptions: Portuguese reenactors studied Dutch phrases so they could follow their Dutch-speaking unit, Czech people fought with the French (the stylish uniforms were a draw, one said), and some Spaniards and Italians fought in a kilt-wearing Scottish battalion. Advertisement And then, of course, there was the American leader of the French army. Schneider has in recent years become the most sought-after Napoleon globally. 'I get more street cred, if you will, because I rose up through the ranks,' he said, referring to his start as a rank-and-file reenactment soldier. 'I didn't immediately make myself the emperor.' In 2015, for the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, organizers chose a French Napoleon, Frank Samson, a lawyer in Paris. But Samson's retirement just after the battle sparked a search for replacements. For bigger anniversaries, like the 210th, organizers stage a larger event, while holding smaller reenactments in other years. Franky Simon, a reenactment organizer who played Napoleon's right-hand man, Marshal Michel Ney, said that organizers had to search far and wide for an emperor up to par for this year's battle. 'For small events, we take a local Napoleon, and for big events, we take Mark,' said Simon, a Belgian librarian, praising Schneider's equestrian skills. Last year, Jean-Gérald Larcin of Belgium played Napoleon for the pared down 209th anniversary. On Sunday morning, on a wheat field rented from a farmer, war reenactors and 100 horses staged the battle -- which lasted around 10 hours in real life -- in 90 minutes. One reenactor had to be assisted off the field because of the heat, made more trying by the woolen uniforms as temperatures soared into the high 80s. Advertisement At the time of the 1815 battle, the real Napoleon Bonaparte, 45, had recently left exile on Elba and returned to power. At Waterloo, on June 18, he faced a coalition of European armies, led by Britain's Duke of Wellington and Marshal Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher of Prussia. More than 60,000 men were killed, wounded or captured in the battle, which ended Napoleon's reign and France's quest to dominate Europe. In a speech at the start to hundreds of reenactors, Michael Haynes, who played a British general, tied Waterloo to modern events. 'We are going to remind the world of how that tyrant was stopped and pulled down,' he said of Napoleon. 'We will encourage Europe and the world that there is hope when faced with oppression.' Haynes spent the nights leading up to the battle camping in one of the hundreds of tents erected a few miles from the French army's encampment. (He confessed that he slept on an air bed, not a wooden and canvas one, like some of the most dedicated reenactors). While the mood among the allied forces before the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 was reported to have been anxious, the encampment last week was lively. Alcohol flowed freely, and drinking songs lasted until the early hours. When, at 7 a.m. one day, someone started playing bagpipes, shouts of 'shut up,' with expletives, could be heard from the tent of an annoyed reenactor trying to sleep, according to Mair Mason, from Birmingham, England, who played a friend of the Duke of Wellington's wife. As for Schneider, after 20 years of leading the French army into mock battles across Europe, he plans to pass the baton following his career-crowning performance at Waterloo. Advertisement 'There are a bunch of Napoleons popping up left and right,' he said. 'I want to give them an opportunity. Whether they be the Polish Napoleon, the Dutch Napoleon, or the Belgian.' Or maybe, one day, Napoleon will be French again. This article originally appeared in
