If there were a bridge between Louis Vuitton and H&M, it would be lined with fashionable boys and girls wearing Marc by Marc Jacobs. To me, there’s no brand quite like it. There’s quirky luxury, and there are affordable graphic prints, but no brand does the mix of the two as well as the design team behind Marc by Marc. The S/S 2014 collection walked in New York last week, and reaffirmed all my beliefs in the brand!
I’d recognize a Celine bag from 100 yards away, but the only time I’ve seen one in Utah was on the arm of an unbelievably stylish Asian exchange student. They’re a rarity here, to be sure. But Marc by Marc Jacobs bags are everywhere in downtown Salt Lake. With the opening of the Nordstrom at City Creek, they became available for anyone who could save up or spare roughly $500 (or less!) for a bag. That might sound like a lot to some people, but for those of us who have gaped open-mouthed at the Valentino collection, $500 seems downright reasonable.

I’ll never forget the experience of walking into Nordstrom in 2009 and paying for my own Marc by Marc Jacobs bag with money I had saved up. I felt like I finally belonged to the community I had grown so attached to over the internet. I was in tune with the fashion world, and that was my proof. I’m not into buying leather anymore (especially when there are such amazing cruelty-free options), but I will always value the way that bag made me feel like I was part of something bigger than the small town in Utah I came from. 
Fast forward to 2013 and people everywhere are still flocking to the brand for the same reasons I did when I was 17. It’s wearable as hell, but it’s bold. It’s at the perfect price point where it remains exclusive, while staying attainable. If Marc Jacobs is for your museum curator aunt, Marc by Marc is for the cousin who lives in Brooklyn that you’re insanely jealous of.

Every collection always showcases a perfect set of basics that anyone could incorporate into their closet, regardless of their style preferences. In addition, they always throw out a few wild-card themes. This year? Sequins and scarfs! Which admittedly sounds pretty awful when taken out of context, but check this shit out.
What was your favorite look from the show? Hands down, my favorite was the brown coat (Look #19) because I’m a SUCKER for any kind of oversized outerwear. [All runway photos via style.com]

STAY UGLY//
xoJamee
 
Let us all take a moment to acknowledge the glory that is Miranda Kerr. Not only is she possibly one of the most breathtaking models to ever walk the face of the earth, but she's got style and grace and she's workin' it all over the place. Her street style is on a level entirely separate from the rest of the world, and I think that often goes unnoticed in some corridors of the fashion industry. So take a moment, if you will, and admire the glamourous Miranda Kerr with me. Maybe she will inspire your wardrobe as she has mine!
*All photos have been credited.

-JR