Marc Jacobs gives a long interview to GQ, revolving mostly around his transformation from “the soft, blubbery Marc Jacobs” into the Jacobs he is today, who, as we know, is not shy about showing off the fruit of his efforts.
On his pre-transformation days: “I didn’t care what I looked like, because I knew I’d be on the floor picking up pins or drawing all day. I thought, Who cares about my appearance? They only care about what I’m making.”
On feeling ‘different’ as a kid: “When I went to sleepaway camp, I just kind of wanted to sit there and make an ashtray or do a lanyard necklace or paint my jeans. And then to stand there and not be chosen for a baseball team—it’s like, force me to do something and then don’t choose me to do it. Okay, what am I supposed to enjoy about that process? How am I supposed to feel good about myself with all that going on?”
On hitting the gym: “The thing I love about the gym is not having to make choices. My trainer says, ‘You’re gonna lift this; you’re gonna do that ten times.’ Okay, great—just tell me what to do and I’ll do it. It’s the same thing with my nutritionist. All I have to do is follow instructions. I love that. This is not about ‘Would it be better in red or blue?’ There isn’t a lot of abstract, circular thinking involved. And it’s great. Those times are really nice for me.”
On cosmetic surgery: “I’ve learned at this point to never say never to anything. I look at Tom [Ford] and he looks great. Whatever he’s doing works for him. And I don’t know if he does anything, but I’m not opposed. Whatever makes me feel good, I want more of. If work is going well, I want to do more clothes. If the gym thing is working for me, I want to be bigger. If getting my hair cut makes me look younger, I want to play with the color. So I could see myself slipping down that road so quickly.”
On how his nose swelled once when he ran into a glass door: “It got so swollen here (on the bridge), and I thought, This is so hot.”
On people who judge him: “I don’t feel like I’m in crisis, and I don’t know that it’s the middle of my life. Why is there this division all of a sudden between people in support of me and people against me? How did this happen? I haven’t done anything to anybody! I look at Karl Lagerfeld and John Galliano—everybody has their shtick. And just because this wasn’t my shtick two years ago, it’s a problem.”
