Native New Yorker, Marc Jacobs began his design career in 1981 when he attended Parsons School of Design. On the evening that Marc Jacobs was showing his senior collection and receiving some of the school s highest honors, a fashion executive in the audience took immediate notice. The conversation that followed led to the creation of a partnership based on two very simple concepts: a love for fashion and a commitment to quality. Two years later, Marc Jacobs ventured out, and designed his first clothing collection bearing the Marc Jacobs label. In 1995, he launched his first full collection of men s ready-to-wear clothing, based on pieces that he himself would want. 2000 saw the launch of the first Marc Jacobs handbag collection. In 2001 Marc Jacobs and his business partner, Robert Duffy, introduced their secondary collection, Marc by Marc Jacobs. It was established on the basis of providing a collection of comparatively affordable, edgy and retro-inspired mass-market pieces. Since then, the collection has continued to grow exponentially to include Marc by Marc Jacobs shoes, Marc by Marc Jacobs handbags, Marc by Marc Jacobs jewelry, Marc by Marc Jacobs eyewear, Marc by Marc Jacobs hair accessories and Marc by Marc Jacobs watches. Each season, the Marc by Marc Jacobs collections are created with the underlying theme of providing quality shoes, handbags, accessories, eyewear and watches with high fashion designs incorporating the signature quirkiness and unique sense of style that Marc by Marc Jacobs has come to be known for.