In this increasing TikTok era of trends, how does Heaven by Marc Jacobs catch Gen Z’s attention?
If you are a Gen Z interested in fashion or pop culture, you might have heard of Heaven by Marc Jacobs. Created in 2020, Heaven is Marc Jacob’s answer to the Gen Z issue. This issue is prevalent in luxury brands, who are specifically known to cater to older customers. Luxury brands have been trying to recruit Gen Z icons like Gucci’s deal with Harry Styles or Chanel’s deal with Jennie from BlackPink. While it has been working to boost brand awareness, it isn’t bringing money in from Gen Z. Then… there comes Heaven.
Heaven is interesting. It takes a lot of popular aesthetics in the Gen Z-sphere that are circling through TikTok and capitalizes off them. Heaven is plagued by the Asian-fishing trends going around these days, with a lot of creators calling out the inspiration behind Heaven. Heaven takes inspiration from Japanese street trends, specifically in the case of the popular Japanese sub-culture magazine, FRUiTS. This magazine, created in 1997, hosts a variety of Japanese Harajuku styles known throughout Tokyo. This inspiration is ironic though, as Marc Jacobs himself has a history of racism and internet trolling.
I’m not exactly an outsider to the Heaven trend either. Amid a mass “personal style” takeover, Heaven adds colorful, fun, unique, and interesting pieces to their lineup that speaks to their Gen Z audience. I’m so fascinated with Heaven because it is pandering directly to me. Having people like Orson from Desperate Housewives, Charli XCX, and Pamela Anderson modeling their newest collection speaks to Gen Z’s obsession with pop culture icons. But I can’t fit into Heaven. Despite catering towards Gen Z, Heaven only offers up to XL. An increasingly trendy brand not carrying plus sizes? Big shocker.
In this TikTok age, every brand and its mother is trying to cash in on Gen Z. Whether it‘ is the affordable lip gloss and lash businesses plaguing the platform, or in this case, luxury brands trying to get a slice of Gen Z. The biggest takeaway in the case of Heaven by Marc Jacobs is brand awareness. Brands, especially luxury ones, are not here to be our friends or local artists. As much as they try to cater to Gen Z, their blatant use of Asian aesthetics, lack of size selection, and price point show they are simply just another company that uses personal style as a means of mass consumption. If you are interested in any Heaven items, I suggest you look towards local designers and artists in your area. You might just find something better and more inclusive.