Marc Jacobs has stirred controversy after revealing he would be open to styling Luigi Mangione for court. The designer’s remarks quickly split social media, with some treating them as playful while others accused him of glorifying the murder suspect.
Mangione’s unlikely status as a style talking point has been building for months, with several of his public appearances triggering fashion conversations online.
Fashion designer Marc Jacobs says he would be willing to dress Luigi Mangione for his upcoming trial, even praising the accused killer’s courtroom style. The guru made the admission during Vanity Fair’s “Lie Detector Test” after being reminded that Winona Ryder, Lil’ Kim, and Courtney Love have all worn his brand during their respective court cases.
Asked whether he would dress Mangione for his trial, Jacobs chuckled before replying, “Um, yes.” As for what he would put him in, the 63-year-old suggested Mangione may not need much help. “I think he looks pretty good the way he dresses, actually,” Jacobs said.
Mangione’s courtroom appearances have already sparked an unlikely fashion frenzy. A burgundy sweater he was pictured wearing reportedly sold out at Nordstrom after images of him circulated online. When asked whether that made Mangione a “trendsetter,” Jacobs again answered, “Yes.”
Internet Divided Over Marc Jacobs’ Luigi Mangione Take
Jacobs’ remarks have triggered a sharply divided response online, with supporters and critics reading the exchange very differently. Some Reddit users embraced the idea almost immediately. One joked about a “Luigi X Marc Jacobs” collaboration, while another urged the designer to “dress my man in nothing but the best.”
Others leaned into the absurdity of the moment, calling the potential pairing “camp” or praising Jacobs for playing along with Mangione’s internet notoriety.
The backlash, however, was just as blunt. On X, one user wrote, “What. The. Actual. F-ck. The man was murdered.” Another accused Jacobs of “praising a murderer” and branded him a “terrible person.” A third called the reaction around Mangione “the absolute perversity of these people.”
Marc Jacobs Has Weathered Controversy Before
Controversy is hardly unfamiliar territory for Jacobs, whose career has weathered several high-profile storms. In 2016, the designer faced accusations of cultural appropriation after predominantly white models wore colorful dreadlocks during his New York Fashion Week show. Jacobs initially pushed back against critics before apologizing for what he called a “lack of sensitivity.”
Five years earlier, a Marc Jacobs perfume campaign featuring a then-17-year-old Dakota Fanning was banned in the UK. The Advertising Standards Authority ruled that the positioning of an oversized “Oh, Lola!” perfume bottle between her legs could be seen as sexualizing a child.
Jacobs also spent years locked in a copyright dispute with Nirvana over his “Bootleg Redux Grunge” collection. The band sued in 2018, claiming Jacobs used a logo “virtually identical” to its famous smiley face. Jacobs disputed the allegations and argued Nirvana lacked enforceable rights to the image.
Luigi Mangione’s Court Outfits Have Become An Online Obsession
At a February 2025 pretrial hearing in Manhattan, Mangione arrived in a dark green cable-knit sweater over a white collared shirt, paired with khaki trousers and brown penny loafers.
But it was what the then-26-year-old wasn’t wearing that caught some observers’ attention. Photos highlighting his sockless ankles beneath silver cuffs quickly sparked commentary online, with one user admitting the loafers had changed her perception of him.
The fascination with his clothing had already surfaced before his arrest. After police released surveillance images of a person of interest in Thompson’s killing, internet sleuths attempted to identify the green hooded jacket pictured. GQ reported that users zeroed in on a $225 Levi’s style sold by Macy’s.
The outlet reported that more than 700 units sold within 48 hours before the jacket became unavailable on the retailer’s website. The online obsession also spawned lookalike jokes, viral skits and merchandise featuring Mangione’s image, turning an alleged murder suspect into an unlikely fashion fixation.
Luigi Mangione’s Case Has Changed Dramatically Since His Arrest
Mangione’s legal saga has moved through a series of major twists since his arrest in December 2024. On August 14, he pleaded guilty to federal stalking charges and admitted targeting and killing Thompson. Prosecutors intend to seek a life sentence, with sentencing scheduled for December 18.
The plea resolved the federal case, but Mangione still faces a separate second-degree murder charge in New York state court. His legal troubles began five days after Thompson’s death, when police arrested him at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Authorities said they recovered a 3D-printed pistol and a notebook from his backpack.
Mangione was later extradited to New York and initially faced both state and federal prosecutions. The cases have changed considerably since then. A state judge dismissed terrorism charges in September 2025, while a federal judge blocked prosecutors from pursuing the death penalty in January.
Following his latest plea, Mangione’s attorneys moved to have the remaining state case dismissed on double jeopardy grounds.
