Marc Jacobs Fall 2025: Beauty, Body Dysmorphia, and the Art of…Exaggeration?
We got to see the Marc Jacobs Fall 25 runway show after a full-on Men’s Paris Fashion Week, and as usual, the volume was loud (again). We’re talking exaggerated, caricature-like silhouettes: swollen hips, protruding shoulders, overstuffed chests. It’s a look Marc has leaned into since the pandemic, a radical shift away from anything “normal” or streamlined. But here’s what really caught my attention: the collection’s stated theme—beauty.
At first glance, it’s easy to think, Wow, these are just oversized, distorted bodies. But digging deeper, it’s clear Marc Jacobs is engaging with a more complex, modern idea of beauty—one that refuses to fit into traditional molds. This reminded me a lot of Rei Kawakubo’s approach. Kawakubo has long played with forms that disrupt the body, creating that uneasy feeling in the viewer, challenging how we see clothes and bodies. Marc’s Fall 25 collection channels some of that energy but makes it a bit more accessible, more theatrical, especially in moments where celebrities are already styling these pieces on red carpets.
You can see this in the exaggerated shoulders and hips, yes, but also in some surprisingly wearable looks, like the opening cargo pants with four pockets. It’s a costume piece for sure, but one that makes a statement. It’s clear Marc Jacobs embraces maximalism and wants to create fashion that is unapologetically bold and expressive. He’s not here to make basic, forgettable clothes on the runway, this is why people will talk about him. And honestly, that’s what we love about him in an industry often obsessed with safe bets.
That said, when I went to his website after the show, I found a huge disconnect. The ready-to-wear collection that you can find online is mostly logo tees, some basics, and pieces that feel far less daring than what we see at the runway spectacles. It’s almost like the collection’s bold ideas don’t translate into commercial products. That’s a pity because the runway collection itself is an exciting exploration of what beauty can mean in 2025—fluid, exaggerated, and a little unsettling. Clearly, what’s commercial and what sells for Marc is far away from what he proposes on runways.
And of course, as with any provocative collection, especially if it looks familiar to Kawakubo’s work, there’s always some backlash. Some viewers on social media called the collection unwearable or even accused Marc Jacobs of “hating women.” These reactions miss the point. As many people who understand (or try to understand) fashion, runway shows aren’t always about selling what you see straight away—they’re about ideas, concepts, and pushing boundaries. Marc’s runway is a space where he gets to ask, What is beauty? without worrying about mass appeal. But wouldn’t that be great if some of that distorted fantasy could be directly translated into other types of products? I’d ditch the logo t-shirt in a second.
Marc’s kind of freedom for fashion shows is rare, especially in American fashion, which often leans toward commercial comfort zones. But Marc Jacobs? He’s always been a rule-breaker. Alongside designers like Thom Browne or even now Luar or Christopher John Rogers, he’s one of the few American voices who pushes fashion forward with a genuine, uninhibited vision—even if that means embracing body dysmorphia or caricature-like forms.
And that’s what makes his work so compelling right now. We live in a world where beauty standards are constantly shifting and expanding, Marc Jacobs isn’t trying to fit in. He’s questioning, exploring, and sometimes exaggerating those boundaries so we can all think a little differently about what fashion—and beauty—can be.