Marc Jacobs Biography

When Marc Jacobs was seven years old, his father died. According to Jacobs, his mother was mentally ill and he lived with his grandmother as a teenager in Manhattan's Upper West Side. After graduating from the High School of Art and Design in 1981, he attended Parsons New School for Design. While at Parsons, he designed his first line of sweaters and his first collection for Reuben Thomas, Inc.

In 1986, Jacobs designed the first collection for his own label. One year later he became the youngest designer to be awarded the Council of Fashion Designers of America's Perry Ellis Award for New Fashion Talent, the industry's highest honor. Since 1997, he has been creative director of Louis Vuitton. In 2001, he started his secondary line, Marc by Marc Jacobs. As of early 2012, there were more than 200 Marc Jacobs retail stores in 80 countries. Fun fact: In 2010, Jacobs, who's openly gay, was named Time Magazine's 100 most influential people in the world. He was 12th on Out Magazine's 50 Most Powerful Gay Men and Women in America 2011 list.