Marc Jacobs’s subsidiary line, Heaven, has become something of a juggernaut in the fashion industry. Since its inception in 2020, the line – inherently linked to ’90s grunge and rave, with a modern twist – has managed to carve itself a unique space in a way few retailers have managed in the era of TikTok. Fans Olivia Rodrigo, Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner are all symbolic of its success.
Those yearning for excitement in the fashion industry post-athleisure boom have managed to cultivate a community through Heaven, in a way that extends beyond double-tapping social media posts. “A lot of the employees who work in our Los Angeles store have become best friends,” says Heaven’s art director, Ava Nirui. “When I was a teenager, I was scared of walking into boutique stores alone and touching things. In our shop, kids will grab books and sit on the floor and make new friends – it’s all about creating a comfortable environment.”
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The first Heaven pop-up in London’s Dover Street Market earlier this month backed up what Nirui says. The basement of the space founded by Rei Kawakubo and her husband Adrian Joffe was buzzing, as fashion connoisseurs turned up to celebrate the arrival of Jacobs and Niuru’s brainchild in the capital. Model Alva Claire and musician Deto Black were just two of the famous faces spied in the crowd. Standout pieces like the reimagined multi-buckle Kiki boots, which the team “made a really small run of”, and the patchwork cropped cardigan seen on new-gen stars were major talking points on the night.
Camouflage miniskirts, original Claire Barrow illustrations, and images of a conjoined teddy bear litter the latest Heaven collection. How does the team determine which pieces will sell? “The Kiki boots were made in Italy for the Marc Jacobs autumn/winter 2016 show, and we wanted to make them more accessible this time around [by including them in this Heaven collection]. There was a lot of demand for them – I was on my laptop frantically trying to buy them like everyone else!” Nirui recalls. “Everything is so unpredictable. We’re not purposefully trying to get into the Gen Z mindset, we’re just working with people and creating things that we think are cool.”
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British Vogue’s fashion features editor, Laura Hawkins, likens the Heaven hysteria to that that surrounded Marc Jacobs’s punky, oft-referenced Perry Ellis line. “I’m a touch too young to remember the spring/summer 1993 grunge collection that got Marc Jacobs fired from Perry Ellis, but his Heaven line has all the Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love-centric, camo-and-cartoon-print and tongue-in-cheek wit that I need.” Nostalgia is currently driving the fashion market, and Heaven has its finger on the pulse, she adds. “The line provides a heady hit for those captivated by downtown Californian grunge, Nevermind and Fruits Magazine.”
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Predictability simply isn’t a part of the brand’s DNA – there’s a reason Jacobs and Nirui were able to poach Nicki Minaj, Steve Lacy, Mena Suvari and Paloma Elsesser for a series of campaigns shot by Harley Weir this year (moments after images of Minaj sporting Kiki boots were shared on Instagram, the vertiginous boots sold-out). The exclusivity tied to Heaven adds to its appeal – restocks are few and far between. A sweater vest from its debut 2020 drop will set you back at least £250 on Depop. Elsewhere, the limited-edition double-headed bear, created in partnership with German toymaker Steiff, is a hot commodity on eBay.
But the idea is not to place these pieces out of reach. With less of an emphasis on “buy now” culture in fashion, today’s youth are more than happy to own a slice of archive Heaven scored via a resale site, or wait for the next instalment if they miss out. For Nirui, accessibility is crucial. “Marc by Marc Jacobs was one of my first ever introductions to fashion. They were creating lipstick pens and heart-shaped mirrors I could afford to buy as a kid. Making the line obtainable for Gen Z shoppers is super important, now more than ever.”
What is the team planning for the next major release this autumn? “We’re working on a cool tattoo-inspired zine with my friend Manon. I loved her project I Love Tattoo, so I asked her to make a Heaven-inspired interpretation of that,” says Nirui. Expect the unexpected, seems to be the message. “We’ll be expanding our autumn line which will push boundaries.” Watch this space.
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Lead Image: @heavn via Instagram