Marc Jacobs Fall 2023 Ad Campaign

Review of Marc Jacobs Fall 2023 Ad Campaign by Photographer Tyrone Lebon with Talent Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian is inescapable, and she just became a little more inescapable: the icon is the face of Marc Jacobs’ Fall 2023 campaign. Kardashian was captured by photographer Tyrone Lebon, and while the megastar’s reach is undeniable, fans of the brands are having mixed reactions to seeing her move into their territory.

The campaign was teased on the brand’s Instagram with a closeup shot of Kim K’s face – a testament to her celebrity that just an eye, a nose, and a section of lip can set Instagram on fire. More imagery followed later in the day – dressed in full MJ looks with the designer’s signature tote bag close at hand, the star is captured through a grainy, disposable-camera-esque lens as she poses before a flock of metallic birthday balloons.

In a way, the appearance makes sense: Marc Jacobs’ (as well as those of its spin-off line Heaven) recent campaigns have featured a spectrum of iconic creative women both long-established and upcoming: Winona Ryder, Pamela Anderson, Ice Spice, Kim Gordon, Nicki Minaj, and more. In terms of fashion collaborations as tectonic forces coming together, this one is undeniably huge.

But, perhaps surprisingly, a quick scroll through the Instagram comments (the brand scrubbed the rest of its page) reveals that most fans of the brand are disappointed. The general consensus seems to be that the casting choice is a bit boring: we’ve seen Kim Kardashian in a million other fashion campaigns – including for brands that have a very different point of view than this one – so why do we need to see her again here? For a brand that is often so cheekily eager to do the unexpected, this move may feel disarmingly trite and commercial.

There are different metrics of success for ad campaigns. If the goal was to confirm Marc Jacobs as a massive force in fashion and get the brand name in front of as many eyes as possible, then this campaign is a success. But if the goal was to demonstrate that Marc Jacobs as a brand is still unique and creative, then it hasn’t quite accomplished that goal.