It’s a balmy night on the Lower East Side, and if you are walking down Hester Street, you might be startled by the shrieks emanating from Casetta, the adorable café/wine bar just off Ludlow. No, this is not a hipster horror festival—it is a furiously competitive trivia game, in honor of Marc Jacobs 40th anniversary, hosted by Vogue and celebrating the newly launched Sack Bag.
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The deeply chic teams are made up of a gaggle of fetching young models and influencers, and though I am emphatically neither, I am the host tonight, which means I get to introduce Natalie Shine, who is leading the crowd in her trademark endeavor, “The Big Silly Trivia Game.” She is accoutered in head-to-toe Marc—slinky black dress, insanely high Kiki boots (she swears these are comfortable), and a gem-studded bubble choker.
The gorgeous audience members, such as Rowan Blanchard and Justine Mae Biticon, are also sporting Marc Jacobs to “Marc” the occasion. Here are tiny gold leather skirts, stretchy pink body suits that subtly incorporate MJ’s moniker, and dramatically abbreviated ruffled tops (more often than not accompanied by the latest edition to the Marc Jacobs handbag family, the Sack Bag). First seen on his fall 2022 runway, its slouchy silhouette is handcrafted of full grain leather, in three sizes and a myriad of fabrications and colors—including scrumptious shades of wisteria and hot pink because, hey, it s summer!
I myself am clutching my Stephen Sprouse x Marc Jacobs graffiti-printed Tote Bag, which, though just released, has profound sentimental value for me. It dawns on me that I am surely the only one in the crowd who is old enough to remember the historic collab between Sprouse and Marc the first time around.
But on with the show! The photogenic audience is divided into teams named in homage to Marc’s trademark colors, including smiley Yellow and Rose. The Sack Bag is ensconced on cocktail tables, the competitors’ eyes are shiny with anticipation (maybe it’s the Rose?), and best of all, there are prizes involved. The two winning teams (there will be two rounds of trivia with a break in between) will be rewarded with treats like Kiki shoes, sunglasses, 40th anniversary jewelry, and, best of all, the new Sack Bag!
Shine begins to read the questions, almost invariably MJ-based with a few Vogue queries thrown in just for fun: What was the address of Marc’s first store in New York? What year did he launch his business? What is his foundation called? How many issues of Vogue are published each year? (Why am I getting so many of these wrong?)
Competition is fierce, the exuberance is off the charts, and the winning teams—Tangerine and Kiwi—could not be more excited if they were getting a gold medal. As the sun sets over Canal Street, the champions, beaming, come up to claim their prizes—but the real winner is, of course, New York City and its hometown boy made good, the inimitable Marc Jacobs.
