Lady Gaga’s Oscar Run is Sure to Get a Marc Jacobs Boost After His Cupcake Couture Fun: Getting Mischievous at Fashion Week

NEW YORK — Marc Jacobs added a huge dose of funhouse glamour to New York Fashion Week with a spring summer ’19 collection affirming that even in these trying times, excess is best. His looks are big and bold and splashy, with miles of ostrich feathers, iridescent fabrics and cascading ruffles, recalling the classic styles of Yves Saint Laurent.

Jacobs remains the sole American designer to think really big in the ways of the top European fashion houses, where much of  the passion about fashion has migrated. He opened with a sedate satin slipdress, leading one to believe that this collection was going to be more subdued than his previous efforts. But Jacobs was just being mischievous, as he quickly racheted up the excitement level with a series of styles that progressively grew bigger in size and volume.

Kaia Gerber, the 17-year old model daughter of Cindy Crawford, appeared in an oversized sunshine yellow A-line coat, with a matching kerchief around her bouffant hair in a Jackie Kennedy circa 1960s look. Other models strolled the runway in wide-legged satin trousers, pastel baby doll dresses, shiny blouses and oversized coats with floral bows, satin rosettes and ruffles surrounding the neck and rest of the body.

By the end, Jacobs got so carried away with ruffles that they seemed to engulf some of his models. The dresses grew in volume like a balloon filled with air — one of the fashion trends for spring has been labeled “cupcake couture” because of the expanding styles that look like wearable confections.

The cotton candy-colored palate also includes an oversized Chanel-like bouclé tweed jacket in hot pink, a harlequin tuxedo combining shades of peach, blue and pale yellow, and tiered dresses of gold and pink ostrich feathers.

More than 35 models in the show had their cut and dyed in Easter egg colors to match the outfits.

Many of the looks seem more suited for editorial magazines than real life — you could practically see editors from Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, In Style and Elle on the front row jockeying to choose which billowing style they are aching to photograph for their respective magazines. I’m betting that Lady Gaga — a Jacobs favorite — will appear in several of Jacobs’ creations during the long run up to the Oscars next February.

It will take a larger-than-life performer — or perhaps a fashion lover who just wants to have fun — to pull off many of the Mad Hatter-like looks in Marc Jacobs’ collection.