Marc Jacobs’ runway lands in a mystical forest

NEW YORK (AP) - Marc Jacobs, always the showman, turned his New York Fashion Week show into a mystical forest Monday night, presenting his fall collection amid an old-school fairy tale, complete with characters wearing oversized fur hats and embellished big-buckle shoes. There were hints of Victoriana, with bustles tacked on to some of the dresses, and a sequined faux-fur coat that appeared to be covered in snowflakes.

Nearly hidden amid the onstage drama unfolding at the Lexington Avenue Armory were beautiful pieces of outerwear and chic cocktail clothes. The palette had rich tones of purple and bottle green, with a good dose of celebratory silver sparkle.

Jacobs continued to push fashion forward with fabrics that included sequin holograms and tinsel tweed. And his Shetland wool stoles turned into a trend for fall before the audience walked out the door.

Jacobs is known for incredibly original and dramatic Fashion Week presentations, but as the undisputed fashion star of New York, he'd have the crowd's attention no matter what he did. So it's almost as if he puts on the inventive shows for his own amusement.

With Jacobs' reputation for influential fashion hits, he can risk theatrics on the runway in a way that a designer who's still trying to prove himself never could, observed Hal Rubenstein, fashion director of InStyle magazine.

"There's a set, there's an enormous sound system, great lighting. This is what a fashion `show' is supposed to be," he said.

Among the celebrities in the audience was actress Rose Byrne ("Bridesmaids") who described the show as "a kind of Grimm's fairy tale" and "Tim Burton-y," "unique and beautiful."

Rubenstein said Jacobs "plays a game "with the audience. He wants to know, can you see what you need to see? It's overtly over-styled on purpose because he gets a rush from it. He's going to give you a great dress when it's on its own, but he's not going to give it to you on its own."

Among Rubenstein's favorite pieces were a black-and-white brocade jumper and the finale dress, a patchwork of black pieces of silk.

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