Stephen Sprouse-inspired body graffiti at yesterday's Louis Vuitton show. @tmagazine, Twitter.

Jacobs has been at the head of Louis Vuitton since 1997. In his sixteen years at the helm, he transformed the French leather goods and luggage company from a stagnant relic of the past into an international fashion supernova of clothing and accessories. His creativity and imagination have put Louis Vuitton at the forefront of runway fashion. From collaborations with fine artists like Stephen Sprouse and Takashi Murakami that birthed iconic accessories, to seasonal shows that transcended the catwalk and became performance art in themselves, Jacobs will leave behind a legacy of splendor at Vuitton.

Some said his final show yesterday read like a funeral. The setting itself was made from remnants of his previous shows—a carousel, an escalator, even a working train and a full-size “hotel lobby”—all reimagined in black. The clothes seemed to celebrate all the sides of Jacobs’ style and call back to his greatest hits of the past sixteen years. There were street-inspired jeans and biker jackets that recalled his grunge days, showgirl costumes and an almost-naked, handcuffed, graffiti-body-painted Edie Campbell that epitomized his flair for the kitschy dramatic. But the best part were the fierce ostrich-plume headdresses designed by Stephen Jones. Part Native American headdress, part Seattle punk Mohawk, they represented Jacobs’ best quality: his fearlessness.

It was an emotional goodbye for all. Jacobs dedicated the show to a list of women who have inspired him over the years, including icons such as Coco Chanel, Kate Moss, and Madonna. The show received a standing ovation led by Sofia Coppola and the usually stony Editor-in-Chief of Vogue, Anna Wintour. 

Jacobs will now be focusing his time on his own Marc Jacobs and Marc by Marc Jacobs lines. He is said to be working towards a Marc Jacobs IPO within the next three years with the help of luxury goods conglomerate Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy and his partner Robert Duffy, who each own one-third of the Marc Jacobs trademark.

Possible successors to the Louis Vuitton throne will likely emerge within the next few days. For now, the frontrunner appears to be Nicolas Ghesquière, the wonder child behind the revitalization of couture label Balenciaga from 1997 to 2012. 

Jacobs’ departure from Louis Vuitton is a bittersweet moment for fashion. We will all miss being dazzled twice yearly by Jacobs’ sense of adventure and splendor at his runway shows and in his collections. But in the fashion world, c’est la vie; its nature is to evolve, and perhaps it is time for a new era of Louis Vuitton fashion. Best of luck to Marc Jacobs in all his future endeavors—you will be missed in Paris. 

Reach Staff Reporter Gigi Gastevich here.