Marc Jacobs teams up with Rubric Initiative for mentorship programme

American fashion brand Marc Jacobs is partnering with Rubric Initiative, an organisation dedicated to changing the fashion industry by addressing its barriers to entry, on a multi-part instalment mentorship programme aimed at the next generation.

Rubric works with leading industry figures to create educational resources and mentorship programmes, arrange outreach initiatives and paid internship placements, and promote transparent dialogues about race, class, and gender in creative fields.

In the first partnership, Marc Jacobs endorsed industry leaders paired up with emerging creatives across several disciplines in the fashion space, including photographers, stylists, art directors, producers, set designers, casting, nail artists, hairstylists, and makeup artists. Successful applicants sourced from the Rubric community were paired with a mentor.

From the initial partnership, an upcycled garment was created by design mentee Marley Marc with support from Marc Jacobs and the internal design team. The scheme allowed the mentee access to the Marc Jacobs atelier, leftover trims, fabrics, and other deadstock materials.

In addition, a photoshoot highlighting the upcycled garment was produced by participants within the programme guided by photographer Alasdair McClellan, stylist Sydney Rose Thomas, hairstylist Virginie Moreira, and nail artist Mei Kawajiri.

The programme also included an ‘Ask Me Anything’ with designer Marc Jacobs. Questions sourced from mentees were answered by the designer and will be shared across @marcjacobs and @rubricinitiative social accounts.

Marc Jacobs has also announced a co-branded long-sleeve T-shirt with the Rubric Initiative, in which 50 percent of the proceeds will help the organisation to continue providing opportunities through various workshops, mentorship programmes, and panels. The collaboration was designed by Cam Canty and mentored by Hassan Rahim.