When Marc Jacobs left Louis Vuitton

“I want to make clothes that people wear every day, and clothes that they feel they’ve worn for years.”

Marc Jacobs

(interview for Vogue US February 2000)

On Monday Louis Vuitton bosses made it official – despite their earlier denial, it was indeed Nicolas Ghesquière who was named the brands new creative director. It was simultaneously exciting and sad to hear the news. A part of me cannot wait to see what the next Louis Vuitton collection is going to be like and how the former Balenciaga designer will be applying his famous modern couture vision to the Louis Vuitton aesthetics. On the other hand, I hate saying good byes and seeing Marc Jacobs go for I cannot separate him from the brand in my mind. I keep wondering what it was like for him to announce the exit and embark on a new journey after dedicating 16 years of his emotions, blood and sweat to the French Maison - a chunk of life that one simply cannot tear out of his chest, put in a pretty box and forget about instantly.

Today as the new history is beginning to unfold before our very eyes, I want to take a step back and remember the looks and collections that made me appreciate Louis Vuitton and its artistic director. Yes, I know, it wasn’t always a smooth ride, but when there were love and beauty, there certainly was the fashion eternity that came along. And for those eternal moments of pure joy I will adore Marc Jacobs forever.

Christy Turlington photographed by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin for Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2000 campaign

Gisele Bundchen wearing Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2000 photographed by Steven Meisel for Vogue US February 2000

Karolina Kurkova photographed by Patrick Demarchelier for Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2001 campaign

Karolina Kurkova wearing Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2001 photographed by Steven Meisel for Vogue US February 2001

Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2001 in Vogue UK June 2001

Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2002

Tasha Tilberg photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott for Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2002 campaign

Eva Herzigova in Luis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2002 campaign

Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2003

Jessica Miller wearing Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2003 dress photographed by Steven Meisel for Vogue Italia

Karen Elson and Maggie Rizer photographed by Craig McDean for Vogue US June 2003

Eva Herzigova wearing one of THE dresses photographed by Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott for Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2003 campaign featuring Takashi Murakami’s Monogram Multicolore design

Eugenia Volodina and Natalia Vodianova wearing Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2003 photographed by Steven Meisel for Vogue US March 2003

Liya Kebede wearing Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2003 photographed by Craig McDean for Vogue US January 2003

Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2003

Natalia Vodianova wearing Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2003 photographed by Steven Meisel for Vogue US July 2003

Natalia Vodianova wearing Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2003 dress photographed by Karen Collins for Vogue UK January 2003

Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2004

{how I wanted these shoes!}

Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2004

Daria Werbowy wearing Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2004 photographed by Steven Klein for Vogue US September 2004

Caroline Trentini wearing Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2004 photographed by Arthur Elgort for Vogue US September 2004

Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2005

Daria Werbowy wearing Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2005 photographed by Steven Klein for Vogue US March 2005

Lily Cole wearing Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2005 photographed by Tim Walker for Vogue UK July 2005

Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2005 (one of my absolute favourite)

Natalia Vodianova wearing Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2005 dress photographed by Mario Testino for Vogue US July 2005

Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2006

Kate Moss wearing Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2006 photographed by Nick Knight for Vogue UK March 2006

Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2006

Raquel Zimmerman and Du Juan photographed by Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott for Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2006 campaign

Natalia Vodianova wearing Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2006 photographed by Craig McDean for Vogue Nippon September 2006

Morgane Dubled wearing Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2006 photographed by John Akehurst for Vogue Nippon December 2006

Christy Turlington wearing Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2006 photographed by Patrick Demarchelier for Vogue US August 2006

Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2007

Coco Rocha wearing Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2007 photographed by Alex Cayley for Vogue Korea May 2007

Du Juan wearing Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2007 photographed by Sharif Hamza for Vogue China August 2012

Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2007

Julia Stegner wearing Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2007 photographed by Patrick Demarchelier for Vogue US July 2007

Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2007

Du Juan wearing Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2008 photographed by Sharif Hamza for Vogue China August 2012

Vogue Germany February 2008 | David Slijper

Jessica Stam and her Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2008 photographed by Patrick Demarchelier for Vogue US May 2008

Natalia Vodianova wearing Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2008 styled by Grace Coddington and photographed by Steven Meisel for Vogue US January 2008

Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2008

Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2009

Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2009 photographed by Jean Francois Campos for Allure Italy January 2009

Mariya Markina wearing Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2009 photographd by Stefano Moro for Amica Italy April 2009

Laura Blokhina wearing Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2009 shoes photographed by Alexei Hay for Harper’s Bazaar UK March 2009

Those necklaces were a perfect DIY project and so many were charmed by the whimsical “ears” and gorgeous make-up

And the shoes… Oh, how I wanted those Coquettes! Still do…

Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2009

Natasha Poly wearing Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2009 shoes photographed by Patrick Demarchelier for Vogue China August 2009

Sigrid Agren wearing Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2009 photographed by Terry Tsiolis for Vogue China August 2009

Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2010 (and my absolute favourite collection ever)

Karen Elson, Natalia Vodianova and Christy Turlington in Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2010 campaign photographed by Steven Meisel

Liu Wen wearing Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2010 dress photographed by Paolo Roversi for Vogue China September 2010

Catherine McNeil wearing Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2010 photographed by Nicole Bentley for Vogue Australia September 2010

Karlie Kloss wearing Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2010 photographed by Steven Meisel for Vogue US September 2010

Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2011

Regina Feoktistova wearing Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2011 photographed by Serge Leblon photographed by Harper’s Bazaar UK March 2011 & re-published in Harper’s Bazaar Russia May 2011

Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2011

Natalia Vodianova wearing Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2011 photographed by Knoepfel and Indlekofer

Anais Pouliot photographed by Steven Meisel for Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2011 campaign

Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2012

Kati Nescher & Daria Strokous photographed by Steven Meisel for Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2012 campaign

Alexa Chung wearing Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2012 photographed by Thomas Schenk for Elle UK March 2012

Maryna Linchuk, Hanne Gaby Odiele, Valerija Kelava and Hyoni Kang wearing Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2012 photographed by Jang Hyun Hong for W Korea March 2012 Anniversary issue