By Lane Florsheim
You won't find any overstuffed closets in Marc Jacobs's home.
"We live in a house that has quite small, shallow closets," says the fashion designer, 62, of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home in Rye, N.Y., where he resides with his husband, Charly Defrancesco.
As a result, Jacobs's wardrobe is limited. He says he keeps a handful of black jackets by Chanel and Saint Laurent; a few pairs of black jeans, blue jeans and black sweatpants; and a couple of hoodies. The rest is in a storage unit nearby. "If there's an event that I really am going to get dressed up for, then we can prepare in advance and get the clothes brought over or I can go pick them up," he says.
Jacobs is the subject of Sofia Coppola's first documentary, out this month. "Marc by Sofia" highlights different stages of his career -- the pioneering "grunge" collection he presented for Perry Ellis in 1992, his 16 years helming Louis Vuitton -- and follows him as he prepares the spring 2024 runway show for his namesake label. Jacobs said the only time he felt like he was part of a movie was when a clapperboard came out to mark the start of a scene. Otherwise, it just felt like hanging out with his close friend of 30-plus years.
Here, Jacobs also discusses the return of Marc Jacobs Beauty, the last thing he bought and loved and his embellished nails, which take seven or eight hours to create.
What time do you get up on Mondays, and what's the first thing you do after waking up?
Usually 8 a.m. I walk down the hallway, head to the kitchen, thaw food for the fish, get a cup of coffee, sit by the pond and drink my coffee and look at Instagram.
What kind of fish are in the pond?
Oranda, which are like a fancy goldfish. They have these big, crazy heads and beautiful tails. They look like they're from "Mars Attacks!"
What do you do for coffee? And do you eat breakfast?
There's this really fancy coffee machine that we have, but I actually just prefer the Nespresso caramel blend. I typically don't eat breakfast.
What do you do for exercise?
I walk down that hallway in the morning. That's about as good as it gets for me these days.
Do you have any rituals around beauty and skin care?
I like a hot shower, and I like a hot bathroom. Then I do all of my routines. I take my morning medication, I wash my eyes out with a saline solution. I use these lid wipes, I brush my teeth, I gargle, I wash my face. I spray my hair with a water bottle unless I've just shampooed it, and then I put in a mousse to activate the curls and then I put some clips in it, which I usually leave in throughout the day. And then when all of that is done, I pray.
There are moments or days when I think, oh my God, it takes me so long to get ready and I'm so slow moving and the whole process is two hours. And then I think, well, that's self-care. When I rush through it is usually when I end up cranky, miserable, irritable.
What surprised you about making this documentary with Sofia Coppola?
My first thought was like, "Oh, I'm so self-conscious. How am I going to come across in this?" In [Sofia's] hands, it's never going to look bad. And the first time I saw the film, I said to her, "I didn't hate myself." I really liked the person that I saw in that movie and that was surprising for me.
What's one thing you've learned from her over the years?
She can express herself so beautifully and so fully without yelling, without screaming, without being arrogant or dramatic or egotistical. She's got a lot to say and a really beautiful creative mind. It comes with the rest of her personality, which is very generous and calm and straightforward.
You say at one point in the documentary that despite how it may seem, you sometimes feel uncomfortable socially. How do you deal with those feelings?
I was thinking about that as I was brushing my teeth, believe it or not. I sometimes think I'm more self-conscious and more socially uncomfortable than I ever was before. I don't know exactly why that is. I think I'm very in my head as time goes on. I want to hold back and be more edited, so I think I don't allow myself to be free. And socially I've been very choosy about what I will go to and I do still feel pretty awkward and uncomfortable in those situations. I thought I'd be easier and more comfortable now, but I'm less.
Do you read the reviews and comments?
Yes, I do. Sometimes it's not a great idea. I used to get very fired up and I think I've learned from my mistakes of acting on that anger. I'd answer back and thought that I was being clever and sarcastic and cynical, but then I thought, just don't participate. I do read things. Some of them are well-written but I don't agree with, and some of them are angry, stupid comments on Instagram.
Can we expect to see the return of your beauty line this year? Anything you can share about it?
Well, I'm excited that we are doing it. I think the packaging is fun and it's very cool-looking and different from what's out there. I'm working with a group of people who I really respect creatively. It feels like the development went on for so long and now we're at that part where it's the fun part. You get to tell the story and see what that looks like and who's going to participate.
What's on your mind and mood board right now?
Oh, we haven't really started [on the next collection]. We tend to get distracted by the shows that are going on in Milan, Paris and London. Now that they're over, we have to get to work on our next collection. I mean, we have the excuse of the Met [Gala] coming up.
Do you know what you're wearing?
Nope. I don't understand the theme exactly, not that it's going to affect my choice of tuxedo.
What's the last thing you bought and loved?
I bought a pair of sunglasses at Saint Laurent. I've only worn them once for a selfie, but I really love them.
Do you have any guilty pleasures?
I think the nails are my guilty pleasure or biggest extravagance. I've been trying to imitate some of my favorite ceramic vases at home in gel nail polish.
What's the secret to a happy marriage?
"Yes, dear." [Laughs] I think saying yes and moving on is a good way to avoid a short relationship. No, we do couples therapy and I think we know each other well enough to know when to leave the other person alone and give it space. We work on repair as opposed to screaming and yelling or fighting or disagreeing.
What's one piece of advice you've gotten that's guided you?
I was told, "Never give advice." Instead share your experience and see how someone else relates to that.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 23, 2026 08:00 ET (12:00 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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