Marc Jacobs' Spring 2011 collection was like a love letter to the '70s city, with looks that alternated between Jodie Foster in "Taxi Driver" and an updated disco cocktail party.
This was on party, however, that started promptly. For the past few seasons, Jacobs has become known for starting his Monday evening presentations at 8PM on the dot, and this season was no exception, though the audience was definitely caught unprepared. Press and editors were still scurrying to their seats and one barely avoided a near collection with a model as the show music started at (by our watches) 7:59PM.
The instant the first few models emerged from the massive gold structure that Jacobs had erected at the middle of the Armory (such that the models walked in the round), you got it: Big, frizzy hair; bold colored sunglasses; colorful, wide-leg pants; wide-brim hats -- it was over-the-top '70s all the way. For those who might have remembered an era like the '70s with more than a little bit of wincing, Jacobs distilled the sexiest, most optimistic elements of the era into a collection that -- while perhaps not for everyone -- was doubtless smile-inducing.
For those that might steer clear of a pale pink satin suit or a pair of translucent embellished pants, Jacobs supplied more than a few perfectly chic dresses, including several full-skirted asymmetrical pieces that fell just below the knee -- a decidedly ladylike turn in a collection that seemed focused on jaunty sex appeal.
As ever, the accessories were note-worthy as well: Chain-strap purses, epic wide-brim straw hats, rose-colored glasses, and over-the-top floral collars.
