The worlds of music and fashion have collided once more, with US fashion giant Marc Jacobs redecorating a score of Gibson guitars as part of the firm’s Joy campaign.
Four Gibson Les Pauls – three Studios with artwork from renowned artist Hattie Stewart, and one Standard boasting Jacobs’ Daisy Joy design – headline the collection, which serves as a rare collaborative outing for Gibson. Custom straps and pick tins also feature in the drop, which follows Jacobs’ previous collaborations with Converse, Barbie and Crayola.
The electric guitar designs were debuted at New York Fashion Week, during which Marc Jacobs launched a pop-up store in collaboration with department store chain Nordstrom on 57th Street and Broadway. Gibson Spotlight artist Devon Thompson performed a solo set with one of the Stewart-painted axes.
All four pieces echo Jacobs' love for bold and eye-catching color schemes, and the twin humbucker guitars also feature the designer's name and autograph on their bodies.
As recent collaborations with Tony Iommi, Brian May, and Noel Gallagher attest, Gibson is more accustomed to letting esteemed musicians run wild with designs, rather than fashion icons. However, similar tie-ins have been emerging in the guitar world in recent years. Fender's watchmaker-inspired Bvlgari Stratocaster – a gorgeous rather than gimmicky imagining – arrived before Orianthi took to the catwalk at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show last October, and did so armed with a custom-designed PRS.
Fender even let a furniture designer loose on two Telecasters recently, so Gibson's entering the picture is hardly a surprise.
“Music and fashion have long been inseparable as forms of self-expression, so this collaboration in the name of joy felt incredibly fitting and necessary,” says Katie Knipper, who spearheaded the collaboration for Gibson.
“Our Gibson team worked tirelessly with the Marc Jacobs and Nordstrom teams to make ‘Joy’ happen, and having Devon bring things to life in real time was a cherry on top.”
The four ultra-limited Les Paul models are available for purchase at Nordstrom NYC and select Marc Jacobs boutiques. Straps and pick tins are available now via Nordstrom.
