Marc Jacobs is facing fierce backlash after saying he would dress accused murderer Luigi Mangione for court.
The fashion designer, 63, made the admission during a lie detector test for a Vanity Fair interview that aired Tuesday. After the interviewer noted that Jacobs’s outfits had been worn by celebrities including Lil’ Kim, Courtney Love, and Winona Ryder at their respective trials, Jacobs was asked if he would be open to styling Mangione, 28.
“Yes,” said Jacobs, adding, “I think he looks pretty good the way he dresses,” in response to a follow-up question about how he would style the confessed killer.
Later in the polygraph test, Jacobs agreed with the statement that Mangione is a fashion “trendsetter” after learning that retailer Nordstrom had sold out of burgundy sweaters following the defendant’s appearance in one at his 2024 arraignment.
His comments sparked a massive response online, with reactions ranging from ridicule to outright fury.
“Marc Jacobs’ net worth is ~$200M, and he’s out here stumping as a pretend anti-capitalist, pro socialism, pro murder ding dong,” one X user wrote.
“Hopefully he’ll never have a loved one shot in the back by a deranged killer,” added another X user.
“Maybe Marc Jacobs of the global luxury brand Marc Jacobs hasn’t fully considered the idea of random people killing off wealthy businessmen,” wrote a third user.
Representatives for Jacobs did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
The controversy comes at a sensitive moment in Mangione’s legal proceedings. The 28-year-old pleaded guilty Friday to federal stalking charges and admitted killing father-of-two healthcare CEO Brian Thompson by shooting him outside a Manhattan hotel on Dec. 4, 2024.
In the viral moment that made Mangione an unlikely style icon, the defendant appeared at his December 2024 arraignment wearing a burgundy sweater that promptly sold out at Nordstrom. The look sparked a wave of online fascination with his aesthetic, with social media users dissecting his clothing choices and creating fan accounts dedicated to his appearance. That arraignment followed his arrest at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where he was recognized by an employee who called police.
The state murder trial faces an indefinite postponement ahead of its scheduled Sept. 8 start date, after Mangione’s legal team launched an attempt to have the case dismissed on grounds of double jeopardy. The trial was canceled on Monday by Judge Gregory Carro, who set an Oct. 9 deadline for Manhattan prosecutors to file their arguments in the state case. A further hearing is slated for Dec. 10, with Mangione scheduled to be sentenced in his federal case on Dec. 18, as prosecutors seek a life sentence in connection with the guilty plea.