praying to the marc jacobs’ heaven above
By Monica Esquivel
The Heaven by Marc Jacobs collection was launched in the Fall of 2020, led by creative director Ava Nirui. The incorporation of both 90s and current icons, astrology, and Gen Z’s sense of style in their campaign constitute the perfect recipe for the brand’s overall success.
The Star-Studded Campaign
On September 7th, Marc Jacobs released a star-studded campaign featuring modern-day stars such as singers Doja Cat, Charli XCX, and Dev Hynes. They also featured quintessential television icons from the 90s, including Pamela Anderson (best known for her role in Baywatch) and Kyle Maclachan (best known for his role in Twin Peaks). .
The models featured in their latest campaign were purposefully curated: 90s icons alongside celebrities of today, thus establishing a balance between 90s nostalgia and today’s pop culture. The incorporation of older models adheres to Gen Z’s progressive ideals, granting them the opportunity to continue their careers without age posing a threat. This sparks a larger conversation about the fashion industry as a whole: we are progressing towards a fashion world that transcends age. An example being Naomi Campbell, who continues to model for Versace despite being considered “too old” according to the outdated fashion norms. .
Astrology & Social Media
Aside from celebrity endorsements, the Heaven by Marc Jacobs clothing line has employed other marketing tactics to appeal to a younger demographic, including Gen Z’s interest in astrology. Over the past couple of years, it appears that knowing your “big three” is more common than knowing your social security number, a factor Heaven took into consideration when constructing promotional ideas for their latest collection drop. .
On September 27th, @Heavn released a series of astrological themed posts via their Instagram. This concept took inspiration from Seventeen magazine’s May 1995 astrology catalog along with the Japanese-based magazine Fruits, with similar aesthetics and themes being presented throughout their Instagram. .
These promotional social media posts combined astrology and the structure of 1990s teen catalogs, successfully engaging major audiences. The posts are comparatively some of Heaven’s most successful, gaining a combined number of nearly 180K likes. Even when comparing the least liked post between the two, the number of likes still surpasses most recent posts — competing closely to Doja Cat’s initial Heaven endorsement post. .
Heaven’s social media marketing team does a great job of structuring their captions in a format that emulates the younger consumer to whom they appeal. The usage of emojis and punctuative emoticons like “:)” is fun, refreshing, and relatable, whilst the absence of capital letters mimics the familiar Gen Z texting style. Their Instagram feed is also reminiscent of someone younger whilst still respecting their identity as a fashion brand. .
What is Gen Z’s style?
A major reason behind Heaven’s success is that they understand their target audience and the intricacies that define Gen Z’s style. Unique styles, eclecticism, and maximalism are essential qualities to the fashion of younger people. The key is to embrace your own creativity and express yourself without boundaries. The lines of fashion are non-existent and inspiration derives from a multitude of eras and subcultures. Overall, Gen Z’s fashion is inspired by the 90s and 2000s, adhering to different subcultures during this era. However, there are no limitations — people will often intersect and overlap these styles, incorporating them into their own. For example, hyperfeminine versus grunge aesthetics are two subcultures which many people center their style on. These styles are the very essence of the Heaven collection, with products such as baby tees, mini skirts, grunge platform heels, distressed grunge sweaters, and unique chunky jewelry being a main selling point..
This resurgence may have to do with trends cycling every 20 years, which sparks nostalgia for most of Gen Z who were kids during this time period..
There are social factors that may influence the trends occurring today within Gen Z style that contribute to the resurgence of 90s/2000s fashion. Prior to the 2008 recession, the Y2K and McBling fashion eras included maximalist and unique styles, which are fundamentally similar to Gen Z’s current style. Following the recession, these trends in fashion completely shifted towards simpler silhouettes and design. A new age of fashion is upon us — one driven by nostalgia..
The combination of nostalgia, trend cycles, and social elements play a role in Gen Z’s fashion. Their fearless approach to fashion, incorporating their own creative perspective, and dressing without boundaries encapsulates the essence of who they are.
A Recipe For Success
The numbers show that, in 2020, Marc Jacobs saw a financial rise after years of performing poorly. According to the Financial Times, the year 2020 marked the first year that Marc Jacobs was profitable after years of money loss and flat revenue. Although the Heaven collection was launched in Fall of 2020, the fairly new fashion line boasts opportunities for the brand to continue this growth and increase profit..
By centering their campaign around celebrity endorsements with relevance to pop culture, callbacks to vintage fashion, extensive exploration of different subcultures, and a social media marketing team that understands the inner workings of a Gen Z brain, the Heaven by Marc Jacobs team has constructed a formula perfect for establishing a successful brand. As the collection continues to grow, one can project that the company will only get even bigger.
The Star-Studded Campaign
On September 7th, Marc Jacobs released a star-studded campaign featuring modern-day stars such as singers Doja Cat, Charli XCX, and Dev Hynes. They also featured quintessential television icons from the 90s, including Pamela Anderson (best known for her role in Baywatch) and Kyle Maclachan (best known for his role in Twin Peaks). .
The models featured in their latest campaign were purposefully curated: 90s icons alongside celebrities of today, thus establishing a balance between 90s nostalgia and today’s pop culture. The incorporation of older models adheres to Gen Z’s progressive ideals, granting them the opportunity to continue their careers without age posing a threat. This sparks a larger conversation about the fashion industry as a whole: we are progressing towards a fashion world that transcends age. An example being Naomi Campbell, who continues to model for Versace despite being considered “too old” according to the outdated fashion norms. .
Astrology & Social Media
Aside from celebrity endorsements, the Heaven by Marc Jacobs clothing line has employed other marketing tactics to appeal to a younger demographic, including Gen Z’s interest in astrology. Over the past couple of years, it appears that knowing your “big three” is more common than knowing your social security number, a factor Heaven took into consideration when constructing promotional ideas for their latest collection drop. .
On September 27th, @Heavn released a series of astrological themed posts via their Instagram. This concept took inspiration from Seventeen magazine’s May 1995 astrology catalog along with the Japanese-based magazine Fruits, with similar aesthetics and themes being presented throughout their Instagram. .
These promotional social media posts combined astrology and the structure of 1990s teen catalogs, successfully engaging major audiences. The posts are comparatively some of Heaven’s most successful, gaining a combined number of nearly 180K likes. Even when comparing the least liked post between the two, the number of likes still surpasses most recent posts — competing closely to Doja Cat’s initial Heaven endorsement post. .
Heaven’s social media marketing team does a great job of structuring their captions in a format that emulates the younger consumer to whom they appeal. The usage of emojis and punctuative emoticons like “:)” is fun, refreshing, and relatable, whilst the absence of capital letters mimics the familiar Gen Z texting style. Their Instagram feed is also reminiscent of someone younger whilst still respecting their identity as a fashion brand. .
What is Gen Z’s style?
A major reason behind Heaven’s success is that they understand their target audience and the intricacies that define Gen Z’s style. Unique styles, eclecticism, and maximalism are essential qualities to the fashion of younger people. The key is to embrace your own creativity and express yourself without boundaries. The lines of fashion are non-existent and inspiration derives from a multitude of eras and subcultures. Overall, Gen Z’s fashion is inspired by the 90s and 2000s, adhering to different subcultures during this era. However, there are no limitations — people will often intersect and overlap these styles, incorporating them into their own. For example, hyperfeminine versus grunge aesthetics are two subcultures which many people center their style on. These styles are the very essence of the Heaven collection, with products such as baby tees, mini skirts, grunge platform heels, distressed grunge sweaters, and unique chunky jewelry being a main selling point..
This resurgence may have to do with trends cycling every 20 years, which sparks nostalgia for most of Gen Z who were kids during this time period..
There are social factors that may influence the trends occurring today within Gen Z style that contribute to the resurgence of 90s/2000s fashion. Prior to the 2008 recession, the Y2K and McBling fashion eras included maximalist and unique styles, which are fundamentally similar to Gen Z’s current style. Following the recession, these trends in fashion completely shifted towards simpler silhouettes and design. A new age of fashion is upon us — one driven by nostalgia..
The combination of nostalgia, trend cycles, and social elements play a role in Gen Z’s fashion. Their fearless approach to fashion, incorporating their own creative perspective, and dressing without boundaries encapsulates the essence of who they are.
A Recipe For Success
The numbers show that, in 2020, Marc Jacobs saw a financial rise after years of performing poorly. According to the Financial Times, the year 2020 marked the first year that Marc Jacobs was profitable after years of money loss and flat revenue. Although the Heaven collection was launched in Fall of 2020, the fairly new fashion line boasts opportunities for the brand to continue this growth and increase profit..
By centering their campaign around celebrity endorsements with relevance to pop culture, callbacks to vintage fashion, extensive exploration of different subcultures, and a social media marketing team that understands the inner workings of a Gen Z brain, the Heaven by Marc Jacobs team has constructed a formula perfect for establishing a successful brand. As the collection continues to grow, one can project that the company will only get even bigger.