Marc Jacobs Just Set Up a Hip-Hop Runway Right on the Sidewalk

For a collection heavily influenced by hip-hop, there wasn't a single sound on the runway. Marc Jacobs invited his guests to the Lexington Armory and set up two rows of folding chairs — the type you probably sat on during high school assemblies. There was no warning that the show was about to start, save for the time on the clock (2 p.m.) and the stomping of the models' feet in Marc's signature chunky platform boots, a patent oxford on occasion.

The show lasted eight minutes. Eight minutes of mostly neutral clothes walking by. The only real pop of color was from the hardware on all the flashy jewelry, a collaboration with artist Urs Fischer. From large-and-in-charge hoops to long pendant chains and the detailing on hobo bags, gold was the clear focus. There was one bedazzled earring in the shape of a key that stood out, along with a flashy little miniskirt swathed in sequins.

The outerwear, however, was particularly strong. There were plenty of plaid coats and one jacket with cherry-red shearling accents. The track suits looked as though they could have been plucked from a thrift store but undoubtedly worn-in and comfortable. Extended bucket hats and backwards baseball caps by Stephen Jones were the final nod to the origin of street wear.

At the end of it all, Marc himself emerged wearing all-black and one single gold chain. We were permitted to leave. Outside on the street, Marc's cast (including Kendall Jenner, Winnie Harlow, Jamie Bochert, and Hanne Gaby Odiele) were lined up in front of a wall of boomboxes blasting songs. Everyone took photos of the display as the models flashed their iPhones right back at us. But the message was in the loud, thumping music: it was what shaped the clothes of the entire hip-hop cultural movement. Scroll for a look at the encore sidewalk performance.