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JCREPORTNovember 19th, 2008 - Moscow
The Marc Jacobs brand is arguably one of the most dynamic labels in the current marketplace. Sales were up 30%, at last check, while advertising campaigns remain gossip page fodder and boutiques continue opening at a rapid pace, most recently in Paris and Moscow. We caught up with Robert Duffy, vice-president of Marc Jacobs, while he was in Moscow to launch the brand's first boutique in conjunction with the Landau Fashion Group. Duffy gave us the lowdown on the company’s recent real estate explosion, what it's like dipping into Russian territory and why Victoria Beckham likes to pal around in a paper bag.
JC Report: What is the core of the Marc Jacobs brand?
Robert Duffy: Marc is the "core," and the fact that the brand is so developed in many ways.
JCR: What is the role of advertising campaigns?
RD: The prêt-a-porter collection already has a strong force. An advertising campaign, in this way, acts like an image of the whole company.
JCR: How powerful is the advertisement ultimately?
RD: In my opinion, an advertisement should not "sell" the product, it should inform the target audience of the brand and explain the main particularities of the product against the other ones.
JCR: Are there any differences between the advertising steps in different countries?
RD: Sure, retail needs in different countries vary. If our partners wish to have more advertisements for the accessories, we can do a special photo shoot. But if, for instance, it concerns some religious attitudes, we won't cover a semi-nude model.
JCR: Who generates the ideas for the advertising campaigns?
RD: It's a mix of Marc's imagination and the people who take part in these campaigns.
JCR: Why was Victoria Beckham chosen as the official face of a recent advertising campaigns?
RD: They are old friends—they take part in charity activities together. Actually, Victoria is mostly a "funny girl." That is why she runs on this "experiment" with great pleasure. She definitely understood the ironic idea of our brand performance, and supports our main principles of creation.
JCR: Who will be next face of your advertising campaign?
RD: Surprise!
JCR: Who is the main competitor of Marc Jacobs brand?
RD: It is always a hard question for me. Women who wear Marc Jacobs and women who wear other brands are so different. I prefer to say that we have competition between Marc Jacobs and Marc by Marc Jacobs.
JCR: What are the benefits of Marc's brands?
RD: We don't create straightly sexy things. And if it is even sexy, it still appears in different way. Marc Jacobs' clothes have a complicated concept, but if a person feels it, then it's easy to understand this essence. If a man wants everyone to pay attention on him, Jacobs is not the brand for him.
JCR: Is that the thing that affects the image of the woman for the designer?
RD: Yes, here is the position of Marc. If he wants to reach an effect of nakedness, he will never disrobe the body. It doesn't meet the essence of the brand's concept or his vision of fashion. Self-ironical people choose the clothes, motivated by other principles.
JCR: Do you think that this approach can draw clients in Russia? How is Marc Jacobs popular in Russia?
RD: If we didn't see a prospect for development here, we wouldn't open a monobrand store. The Moscow boutique is still very young. It would be beter to compare the results in future, but I think this project will have a success.
JCR: What gives you such confidence in the future?
RD: Business is as good as your partner is. If we compare the sales of the company from when it was first represented in Aizel [Trudel], the progress is obvious. Our fans are more intellectual then the clients of Dolce & Gabbana. They are motivated by essentially different principles while buying clothes, so the evolution in Russia goes with big steps.
JCR: What points were you guided with while choosing a partner in Russia?
RD: Aizel Trudel was the first who represented our brand to the Russian auditory. She understood the concept immediately, and, frankly speaking, that doesn't happen very frequently. Most buyers purchase our collections only because of the name or because of some business obligations with Marc Jacobs' brands.
JCR: Is it hard to be "the one in many faces"? Is it easy to separate Marc's work from the work for Louis Vuitton, for instance?
RD: Louis Vuitton is an essentially different company; it is the leader of glamour, so to say. This brand has an absolutely different target audience. It is necessary to separate people by different groups. Now Marc is acting more in Paris, and I mostly perform in New York. He creates a first line of Marc Jacobs and generates a work in Louis Vuitton (prêt-a-porter collection), and I run the other projects. Certainly, there is a team of designers in New York who work with Marc, but our functions differ. Marc is responsible for the women's collection, and I am subjected to the men's.
JCR: What are the names of the invited designers?
RD: For 25 years of work there were lots of them—Tom Ford is not an exception.
JCR: Was Marc's ascension as art-director of Louis Vuitton generated by financial motivation, or was it a wish to expand his familiar boundaries?
RD: First, we wanted to grow as a brand. When the brand rises, it always needs financial support and advice. The existence of the patron in the fashion industry is a big plus. We signed a contract with the term that Marc Jacobs brand becomes a part of the LVMH concern, but that 2/3 of the company would be left in our hands, and that the name would still belong to its founders.
JCR: Do you feel a predominance of "the giant"?
RD: Most of designers could not work well together with Bernard Arnault. Until we gain money, problems don't appear. We control our company. Last year we had an increase of 30% sales, which happened because of large diversification of the brand. When one of the lines starts losing the interest of the consumers the others can "give a shoulder."
JCR: What line do you evaluate as the most profitable for now?
RD: Marc by Marc Jacobs.
JCR: Are you going to develop the distribution of it in Russia?
RD: If Aizel Trudel wants to, we definitely will.
JCR: In what way is Jacobs' style progressing for now?
RD: It is always a surprise for me. He can change his way in minutes. Last season he was inspired by the cocoon, next season it will possibly be picture frames.
JCR: What are the new projects you are going to launch this year?
RD: We are carrying out the collection of men's underwear and are planning to run for a women's line too. The men's collection is not well developed so far. These all are the issues we are still concentrating on. We are motivated by the principle that launching a project is sensible when we are already prepared for it, but not when it is a demand of the market. It won't matter if we are the first or we are the last. The first ones are frequently mistaken. It's good to be the best, but not the first.
This interview was conducted by Yuna Zavelskaya, deputy editor-in-chief of PROfashion magazine.
oh and one comment .... from the same source - just in case somebody would do the same note :
What is Duffy's first language? Or perhaps this interview has been translated from Russian. I have never read an interview in such stilted and difficult language. The Marc Jacobs brand seems so relaxed and cool, it's hard to believe anyone involved would speak this way.
and by the way, why isn't there ONE single and unique thread with all related MJ articles and press and everything ....
I mean that would be easier to find something about him this way ...
