Marc Jacobs Grey Purse

Revered by fashion lovers all over the world, vintage Marc Jacobs bags, jackets, dresses and shoes are sophisticated yet edgy. The award-winning American designer is known for a pop culture-inspired aesthetic that combines elements of grunge, preppiness and couture for pieces with broad appeal. Jacobs was instrumental in modernizing esteemed luxury house Louis Vuitton — he introduced the company’s inaugural ready-to-wear line for women and men and even reimagined its logo — while simultaneously growing his signature brand, which is today celebrated for its innovative reinterpretations of classic designs, bright colors and oversize prints. 

Marc Jacobs was born in New York City in 1963. His father died when he was seven years old and he went on to live with his grandmother who deeply encouraged his creative spirit. He attended the High School of Art and Design while working at cult Manhattan clothing boutique Charivari. In his role as a stockboy at the store, he met designer Perry Ellis, who suggested he attend the Parsons School of Design. He did so, and for his senior thesis project at the school, Jacobs designed sweaters emblazoned with Op art graphics that earned him considerable attention from the fashion industry.

In 1984, Jacobs and his friend and business partner Robert Duffy launched the Marc Jacobs label. A year later, Jacobs received the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s Perry Ellis Award for New Fashion Talent. In 1997, Jacobs was named the creative director of Louis Vuitton, a position he held until 2014. He pushed the brand forward through collaborations with major contemporary artists and designers like Stephen Sprouse, Takashi Murakami, Richard Prince and Yayoi Kusama. This cooperative model has become a mainstay of the brand.

While helping the venerable luxury house earn accolades — and scores of new fans — for partnerships that melded fashion with art, Jacobs was also working on his namesake projects. He continued to design for his flagship line and debuted Marc by Marc Jacobs in 2001. Although the Marc by Marc Jacobs diffusion label closed in 2015, Jacobs has gone on to introduce beauty, fragrance and children’s lines. 

In 2020, Jacobs launched Heaven. A collaboration with Australian-born Ava Nirui — the art director at Jacobs’s flagship brand — the line comprises gender-neutral skirts, chokers and other garments and accessories that are aimed at a younger audience and draw on our era’s renewed appreciation for 1990s fashion.

The Council of Fashion Designers of America named Jacobs the Accessories Designer of the Year four times. The organization named him the Menswear Designer of the Year in 2002 — he was also honored with a plaque on the Fashion Walk of Fame in Midtown Manhattan that year — and the Womenswear Designer of the Year in 2016.

On 1stDibs, find vintage Marc Jacobs purses, tote bags and other clothing and accessories on 1stDibs.

An integral part of fashion, handbags and purses have been indispensable accessories ever since we began to carry around personal items. Level of craftsmanship, style and shape matters — from coin purses in ancient Greece to early 20th-century opera bags and onward, handbags have evolved considerably over the years to meet our needs and desires, whether or not you happen to be prioritizing functionality over a flashy exterior.

Once, a single “It” handbag ruled each fashion season. No more. Today, lovers of vintage handbags are savvier and have a wider range of shopping options. Nevertheless, classics created by the likes of Louis Vuitton, Dior and Balenciaga still rule.

“It is not a fashion bag — it is a statement bag,” says Mightychic's Debra Kent of Hermès's widely beloved accessories. “When you carry an iconic Hermès bag — Birkin, Kelly, Constance — no one knows how long you have been into this culture or if you are a newbie. Your status is validated immediately.”

First released in 1997, Fendi's Baguette rose to fame along with Carrie Bradshaw, the Sex and the City character portrayed by Sarah Jessica Parker. Recently, the design has seen such a resurgence in popularity that Fendi has reissued it.

They are part of design history, so owning a handbag has meaning. As New York–based fashion historian Sarah C. Byrd says, “You have made the choice to invest in this piece because you understand the value of it in the past and in the future to come.”

From a 1980s Chanel black leather quilted mini buckle bag to the rare Hermès Birkin 30cm Himalayan with diamond hardware to a range of 19th-century bags, find a rich variety of vintage and designer handbags and purses spanning numerous brands on 1stDibs — seasonal “It” designation no longer needed.