Marc Jacobs Talks Blogs, Marriage, & NYC vs. Paris

The New York Times hosted a series of fashion-focused talks yesterday as part of their ongoing series of TimesTalks; the day began with Tyra Banks, included musings from Michelle Obama’s designers of choice (Thakoon, Maria Cornejo, and Narciso Rodriguez) midday, and rounded out with an evening spent with none other than Marc Jacobs. The latter, who is in town for Vogue's annual Costume Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, took the opportunity to sound off on a range of topics: wedding plans, Parisians, the definition of success, and, of course, fashion. I jotted down a few of the highlights straight from the horse’s mouth.

On fashion bloggers like BryanBoy: “I love fashion ... I don’t want to say ‘victims,’ but ‘enthusiasts.’ I love people who really love fashion because that’s all I am.”

On high fashion vs. low: “The same woman could want a designer dress and a pair of $20 rain boots.” A German princess could be “wearing Lacroix in a place where toilets were overflowing with urine.” And that’s OK by Jacobs.

On Paris vs. New York: “If you have five minutes free in New York, you’re a failure—if you have five minutes free in Paris, you’re a success.” In Paris, Jacobs enjoys the slower pace and less pressure to be busy all the time; whereas in NYC, everything is much more “rapid-fire, edit, cut to dinner.”

On Parisians: “There’s nobody who hates Parisians more than Parisians.”

On marriage: “I don’t want to get all political, but I don’t ever want to be told who to love or how to love.”

On the childlike quality in his work: “Luckily I am still surprised and delighted [by fashion].”

On his creative process: “"I don’t think you can be all things to all people and still have a point of view.”