Drag is the new drug

Industrie magazine presents its latest cover star "Mrs Jacobs”. Of course it's Marc Jacobs in drag showing off his own dresses, handbags, heels and coats. 

Jacobs, 47, Creative Director of the world’s largest luxury brand Louis Vuitton and head designer of Marc Jacobs has become one of the most powerful and recognisable figures in fashion. He has always refused to succumb to the norm, since his “outrageous” 1992 Perry Ellis grunge collection to this year’s fragrance ad campaign for which he wore nothing but a bottle of ‘Bang’. At his latest Louis Vuitton show in Paris he told The Times “when everyone is trying so hard to address what they believe is the modern woman, and what she needs and what she wants, I think it’s great to say ‘F*** that, it’s boring’. I’d rather be camp. I’d rather be decadent. I’d rather go out and shine and be loud”. 

The boundary breaking image was the brainchild of British stylist, Katie Grand who approached Out magazines ranked 15th “Most Powerful Gay Men in America" with the idea that he should model the clothes himself. They were a perfect match as she frequently uses cross dressers in her shoots and he personally tests much of his Womenswear collections. Jacobs has said “I always go nuts when women go, ‘oh men don’t know what it’s like – women in heels, women in skirts, women in dresses- what it’s like to suffer fashion”… “I can show that I, too, will suffer for fashion”. The cover, shot by Patrick Demarchelier, shows Jacobs in a fake wig but with real stubble wearing a fur coat from his 2004 collection, leopard print courts from 2006 a wide brim hat from 2007 and Prada “flash the thigh” stockings. 

The designer is not the only famous face taking on a feminine alter ego for the camera and as exploring identity becomes embraced and accepted the industry comes alive with new talent. The recent success of the first ‘tranversal’ magazine Candy – a publication dedicated to celebrating transvestism, cross dressing and androgyny – have used cover stars Luke Worrell and James Franco to encourage people to adopt the persona of who they want to be. The Gentlewoman features photographer Inez Van Lamsweerde posing in ruffles, ribbon bows and a black beard and Givenchy designer, Ricardo Tisci, cast transgender model Lea T, for his autumn ad campaign. The beautiful Lea T has since appeared across fashion magazines, campaigns, appeared in a nude shoot for French Vogue and has booked a place on Oprah’s famous couch. 

 So as the fashion industry brings drag out of the closet, the question is…are you man enough to be a woman?

Images from - styleite.com and beautyandthedirt.com