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Marc Jacobs on Two Firsts: Acting, Wearing Dad Jeans

Photo: OWEN HOFFMANN/Patrick McMullan

Arriving at MoMA last night for a special screening of the new thriller Disconnect, Marc Jacobs told us he hadn’t seen the movie yet — even though, you know, he’s in it. Lorenzo Martone sat beside him, the lights dimmed, and the designer put on his glasses to get ready for his big screen debut, which takes place instantly during the movie’s high-energy opening scene. First line: “Hey. Where you been?”

The movie was actually really good, including Jacobs’s performance as Harvey, the (smoking-hot) spaghetti-making kingpin of an online child porn ring. After the screening, Arianna Huffington moderated a Q&A with Jacobs, co-star Frank Grillo, and the film’s director, Henry-Alex Rubin. Jacobs, who was visibly shaken up by the movie (and its undertones of addiction), said he enjoyed eating macaroni and cheese with the cast and crew in a Yonkers church during the shoot, and that he could relate to the loneliness and fear of true connection that leads the film’s characters to communicate through the Internet. When Huffington goaded that “the fashion industry may have lost someone,” Jacobs shook his head slowly, mouth agape, as if to say, no f—ing way.

Afterwards, we asked Jacobs about his wardrobe in the movie, particularly one ubiquitous jean jacket. Was it his? “No!” He said, emphatically. “None of it was mine. There were endless wardrobe meetings. There were, like, hundreds of outfits. My staff all completely laughed because they had seen me in like, a beaded bra and sequined shorts for a cabaret costume I was going out in on Halloween. Nobody batted an eyelash. But to see me in like, an acid-washed jacket with a hoodie attached, and dad jeans and Air Jordans — they were in hysterics! With like, knuckle rings and earrings. Everybody thought it was the funniest thing they’ve ever seen.” Honestly, we didn’t even notice the dad jeans and Air Jordans. Guess we have to watch it again.

Jacobs on Two Firsts: Acting, Wearing Dad Jeans