Marc Jacobs was born April 9, 1963 in New York City, New York. Graduating from the High School of Art and Design in 1981, Jacobs went on to pursue his education at Parsons School of Design located in New York City. Awarded the Perry Ellis Gold Thimble Award and the prestigious Design Student of the Year Award, Jacobs displayed his unique talent from the very beginning. It was around this time Jacobs aligned with his business partner Robert Duffy. After more than two decades, the two are still collaborative associates. In 1986, the first clothing line with the Marc Jacobs label was released. The line was such an instant success that 1987 brought Jacobs another highly distinguished honor: the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Perry Ellis Award for New Fashion Talent. Quickly working up the fashion chain, Jacobs and Duffy began working with Tristan Russo in 1989. Put in charge of women's design and excelling as usual, Jacobs won Women's Designer of the Year Award in 1992.  Always the visionary, Jacobs had a fascination with fashion "grunge" when others were obsessed with ladylike silhouettes. His grunge line, although lauded by the likes of Anna Wintour, proved a stumbling block. It ultimately led to his dismissal by Ellis. Too talented to be left unemployed for long, Jacobs next served as Louis Vuitton's artistic director beginning in 1997. His time there was exceedingly successful. Both lines, Marc Jacobs and the less expensive Marc by Marc Jacobs, are considered some of the most desirable high end products on the market. Branching out as an international phenomenon, his boutiques can be found in all the major fashion hubs including New York, Los Angeles, Paris, and London.