God Bless Marc Jacobs

---Disclaimer: Completely unrelated to anything in our lives dealing with Kigali or Rwanda---

Since we are a blog named after a certain fashion label - I would think us remiss to not even mention the fact that Paris Fashion Week just wrapped. Being in Rwanda where people can barely afford school for their children and a week's worth of food has made me so completely reevaluate my attitudes towards consumerism and materialism - BUT - I will always appreciate fashion. Always it will be the one art form that I understand and love and eat up like chocolate ice cream. Our oft mentioned oasis, Ivuka Arts, is a haven (or harem of beautiful men?) for appreciating art. So I find it completely acceptable to take one teeny, tiny blogpost to discuss my recent appreciation of the Fall 2010 Louis Vuitton Line by Marc Jacobs.

Jacobs pays homage to the time when women's bodies were women's bodies, boobs' cups runethd over and hips actually existed. However, lest we forget that Miuccia Prada was the first to usher in the curvacious in Milan in February - but this was the closing show of Paris fashion week - this is the statement of the year and who better to make any statement than the deliriously talented Marc Jacobs. Here in Rwanda, as we have previously mentioned, being thin is not desired. It often connotates poverty, disease or inability to bear children. So it is with great adoration of Marc, his style and his show (entitled "And God Created Woman") that I proceed.

I'm not sure when I actually ever saw buxom on a runway (Minus the Victoria's Secret fashion show) - particularly on a Paris runway. Buxom counted out many fabulous models from even gracing the Parisian runways; Elle McPherson, Catherine McNeil, Bar Refaeli (and my new favorite model, Cameron Russell). But Jacobs - being the genius he is - put these models front and center in outfits that exentuated their waists and pushed those boobs up and at full attention. It was clearly a throw back to the now famous and infamous days of Mad Men and Revolutionary Road with a twist (leather gloves in earth tones, plaid with patterns, corsetted tops with metallic skirts, etc). And then there was this and this, which I've decided need to be in my closet. They should be there immeadiately. Sooner is better.

He busted out nip-waist jackets that make every woman love her reflection in the mirror, accentuating the natural waist and slimming down any pair of hips. As well as these jackets with puffed sleeves which balance out the line from head to hip. He also had these fabulous long jackets that were remarkably slenderizing (yes, I know they're size 2 models, but you get it).

His knits were superb. I've always thought a sweater can go one of two ways: frumpy or ribbed. Michelle Obama and her cardigans have proven me wrong over the past year and Jacobs takes it to a whole new level. There is a white, knit sweater that he put over a full ballerina skirt that says "Bring it on boardroom!"

Then: the S's - Sleeves and Shoes. Thank you Marc Jacobs for saying goodbye to the spaghetti strap and cutting down on the sleeveless. Thank you for using thick straps and that glorious '50s/'60s décolletage neckline that makes every woman look amazing. Thank you for the trendy little heels the models were wearing. The block heel (which can ACTUALLY be worn off the runway) with the delightful little Parisian bow were a smash and were one of the final touches on an amazing show; to be upstaged only by the following...

The bags. Oh darling, the bags. The LV Speedy bag was at its heyday in the '30s and Jacobs is bringing it back with his own flair. Jacobs has a knack for making the most glorious bags on the market and with LV's precision and recognizable shapes - we were bound for a masterpiece. Some were covered in fur, some were sequined, some were metallic and all were fabulous.

So from one of the world's curvy girls, thank you Marc Jacobs. Thank you for making a fabulous show of looks that remind us all what fashion is: fashion is putting on the outside what you're feeling on the inside. And believe me: Ladies, we're feelin' fabulous!!

xoxo
nic