Marc Jacobs hires John Targon as new Creative Contemporary Director

By

Arati Menon

Published
Feb 5, 2018

Amid a sweep of changes at Marc Jacobs comes the latest move — a new hire. The LVMH Fashion Group-owned brand has just signed on John Targon, co-founder and former creative director at Baja East, as creative contemporary director, sources told FashionNetwork.com.

John Targon could bring in renewed vitality, with his years of experience that include both creative direction as well as driving sales. Before joining the team at Marc Jacobs, Targon co-founded Baja East, known for its sporty, off-duty styles, with Scott Studenberg. He also previously worked as the director of wholesale for menswear at Burberry, following stints at Céline and Prada.

The hire marks one of the first big moves from chief executive Eric Marechalle, who was hired in the summer of 2017. Marechalle moved to Marc Jacobs from Kenzo, another LVMH-owned label and a brand he’s been credited with revitalizing for a younger generation, presumably to extend his Midas touch to Marc Jacobs' declining sales.

LVMH doesn’t break out revenue figures for its individual brands, but has provided repeated indicators of Marc Jacob’s struggles.
 
Its difficulties started becoming most apparent during a 2015 decision by its parent company to unify the brand's previously successful Marc by Marc Jacobs diffusion line with the main line.
 
Since, the brand’s executives have been suggesting a revamp that involved expanding the range of contemporary offerings while also offering varying price points.
 
The changes have been coming in fairly consistently since, including unconfirmed rumors that suggest Marc Jacobs himself might step down.
 
Last year, the brand dropped its men’s line, concluding its license agreement with Staff International SpA after the Fall 2017 collection. A slew of store closures is also in the offing. The brand’s last London store in Mayfair shut in January with other European locations to follow — part of a larger restructuring of the brand, and rationalizing of physical retail.