Hacking It Up! 80's Revival Refuses to Die at Marc Jacobs' Secondary Show

Despite a front row that included the singer Fergie, stylist Rachel Zoe (in a coat that must have killed 6 orangutans), Kate Moss baby daddy Jefferson Hack, and French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld, the Marc by Marc Jacobs show on Monday at the Lexington Avenue Armory had the vague feel of a dress rehearsal for the real thing, the showing of the signature line, to be held Friday, February 8 in the same spot.

The set design was simpler, the start time was practically early (and by that we mean 40 minutes late; par for the Fashion Week course), and there were but a few measly paparazzi waiting at the exit afterwards.

The clothes themselves were mostly black and shrunken, with plenty of zippers and a few neon details—pink bags, orange buckled boots—that, paired with opaque black sunglasses, gave the collection a cheeky 1980’s biker vibe. Almost all the models wore flat black buckled boots, which diminished them from their normal Amazonian proportions and made them appear almost childlike (no model ever looks glamorous at a Marc Jacobs show).

One wore a t-shirt that read “Off the Deep End”—a critique which has occasionally been leveled at Mr. Jacobs, most recently in December on the Fashion Blog SheFinds.com, referring to Mr. Jacobs’ use of Victoria Beckham, a k a Posh Spice, in his spring ad campaign.

Mr. Jacobs’ paramour, Jason Preston, sat at the head of the runway in front of the galley of photographers, faux-hawk higher than usual, and looked on with interest, occasionally leaning forward or whispering to a friend. At the end, the designer—still apparently blue-haired—took a quick bow in black jeans, white button-down, and glistening diamond studs.