Marc Jacobs’ Heaven Releases Collaboration With Dilara Fındıkoğlu
It’s time to channel your inner rock star.
Wednesday began with fashionista's Instagram feeds adorned by the new collaboration of the moment: Marc Jacobs' esteemed Heaven line joining forces with renowned Turkish-British designer Dilara Fındıkoğlu. But it wasn't just the union of two distinct aesthetics that made an impact. It was also the presence of none other than Gigi Hadid to model the looks.
Photographed by Alana O'Herlihy and styled by Clare Byrne, Hadid modeled looks that channeled her inner rock star – or pop queen, take your pick.
Picture Y2K bombshell meets coquette lover meets punky, angry daughter. The result were micro-leather shorts, a graphic baby tee with a tight fit and cut out bust – embellished with safety pins and a zipper in the back – and chunky belts with jewel-encrusted chains. Or a babydoll-meets-gothic corset mini dress with exaggerated shoulders and ruffles across the neckline that is both delicate and rebellious.
In terms of rebellion, Gigi Hadid models a blood-red corseted bikini as a contemporary take on Victorian corsetry. It can't get any more defiant than that, you'd think. The truth is, it can. And it will. From a latex-looking bikini detailed with safety pins and a hardcore leather set, Hadid taps into the badass within all of us.
With less defiance and more glam, the charm of the 2000s comes into play. The model wears a double-layered, pleated, low-waisted miniskirt – which, according to Heaven's website, allows a custom fit thanks to its punk-inspired hem – accessorized with Jacobs' iconic black Kiki knee-high boots. But that's not all. This shot of Gigi Hadid also has a Victorian-inspired corset with a romantic Marie Antoinette print by Sophie McElligott, with silk chiffon ruffles flowing from the neckline. Think of it as the perfect balance.
The rebellious aesthetic is no stranger to Fındıkoğlu, whose collections often touch on risqué and daring matters. From Fall 2024 ''Femme Vortex'' as a manifesto of a system that transcends the conventional structures of masculinity and embraces feminine energy, to Fall 2023's "Not a Man's Territory", an exploration of women's freedom and sexual appeal, her designs illustrate pertinent debates in today's world.
But behind the collaboration with Heaven, her inspiration is much more personal. “When I was creating this collection, I had my high school years in mind where I was listening to Avril Lavigne, Runaways, Bikini Kill, Girlschool and trying to find my identity wearing metallic blue Marc Jacobs platforms,'' Fındıkoğlu tells The Perfect Magazine.
Marc Jacobs' early days, let's not forget, were shaped by the grunge aesthetic. His infamous Spring 1993 collection for American label Perry Ellis stirred significant controversy among fashion critics and was not a commercial success, resulting in his immediate departure from the brand.
But it made a memorable impact on the fashion industry – leading Women's Wear Daily to dub him the "Grunge Guru" and associate him with the youth culture at the time. As a result, Jacobs became an iconic fashion figure with an adventurous and courageous approach, now appealing to a younger audience and collaborating with risk-taking designers, such as Fındıkoğlu.
''This small wardrobe really is the dream wardrobe of my teenage self and I want them to be dream pieces of all girls now," she declares. Dream certainly is – for instance, the baby tee and the Dilara dress have already sold out.
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