Marc Jacobs' Final Show for Louis Vuitton Was a Thing of Dark Beauty

Right after presenting the spring 2014 Louis Vuitton collection in Paris earlier today, Marc Jacobs announced, that after 16 years with the brand, he was leaving LV.

Apparently Jacobs would like to focus on his own brand now. In a piece for the New York Times, Suzy Menkes and Eric Wilson note that the show had the hints of the end of an era:

…The mood at the show was wistful. It was intensely back and had many elements — a carousel, a grand hotel elevator and twin escalators — that had been stage sets at previous LV shows.

“It’s like a funeral,” said Edward Enninful, the fashion and style director of W magazine, as he entered the show.

And the showgirl clothes, with their giant Folies Bergère feather headdresses and jet-embroidered chiffon, gave the impression that the party performance was over, not least because bluejeans were often worn as a counterpart to the finery.

According to Business of Fashion:

Jacobs’ successor at Louis Vuitton has yet to be named, but French designer Nicolas Ghesquière is widely thought to be the current frontrunner for the role.

But let’s take a look at the clothes, shall we? Very dark, very dramatic, very understated luxe. Sheer bodysuits, leather jackets, heavily embellished gowns, low-slung trousers and skirts in plush, weighty fabrics. Party ravens returning to the roost.