Marc Jacobs Louis Vuitton Contract Ends After 16 Years; Will Louis Vuitton Bags Lose Their Sheen?

Marc Jocabs Louis Vuitton Contract ended after 16 glorious years on October 1, 2013. The rumors had picked up early on but the official confirmation came towards the conclusion Louis Vuitton catwalk show at the Paris Fashion Week.

Jacobs stepped down as the creative director of Louis Vuitton to focus on the expansion of his eponymous Marc Jacobs Brand. Along with business partner Robert Duffy, Jacobs wants to take the brand public in the next three years.

The Louis Vuitton collection at Paris Fashion Week showcased Jacob's hallmark designs in the past 16 years. The audience gave a standing ovation to Jacobs, who transformed Louis Vuitton into a high-end luxury brand over the years. He had joined the brand back in 1997.

His label Marc Jacobs Brand is internationally famous and its latest sales figures are to the tune of $1bn. LMVH, the owner of Louis Vuitton, also holds majority stake in Jacob's label and is helping him with the IPO. The success of the IPO depends on a lot of things, including the fact that designer Marc Jacobs is the only big name associated with it. In a dynamic world, it is a very risky proposition.

Meanwhile, fashion and business analysts are speculating the viability of Louis Vuitton brand and its products after its most prolific creative director bid adieu. Telegraph reported that LMVH is looking to reinvent the brand and enhance its appeal. A change in creative authority was not distinctly on the cards, but its possibility was not ruled out entirely.

Currently, the company is in talks with Nicholas Ghesquière, former designer at Balenciaga to take up the post of creative director. It plans to take the brand more upscale with the introduction of a new range of niche leather accessories.

Time will tell whether both Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs will be successful post-dissociation.