Bookmarc

Bookmarc is a bookstore and cultural retail concept created by fashion designer Marc Jacobs and executive Brian Duffy. The brand combines specialist bookselling with the visual language and merchandising of Marc Jacobs, focusing primarily on art, photography, fashion, design, and popular-culture publications. Its stores also sell Bookmarc-branded stationery, clothing, accessories, and other merchandise, making the concept part bookstore, part fashion retail extension, and part event venue. The first Bookmarc locations opened in 2010 in New York City and Los Angeles. The New York store occupied the former Biography Book Shop storefront on Bleecker Street in Manhattan's West Village and formed part of a group of Marc Jacobs storefronts opened in the neighborhood. The arrival of the store generated some local controversy, with observers questioning the expansion of the Marc Jacobs retail footprint and the replacement of an established independent bookseller. Bookmarc sections were subsequently introduced inside or alongside other Marc Jacobs stores in the United States. The concept expanded internationally in 2012 with locations in Paris and London, followed by a Tokyo store in Shibuya in 2013. The Tokyo location was designed by Jaklitsch/Gardner Architects and reinforced the brand's connection to contemporary art, fashion imagery, and design-led retail. The international stores functioned not only as retail spaces but also as venues for signings, exhibitions, launches, and performances involving figures from fashion, photography, music, film, and art. Bookmarc's programming has included appearances and events connected with Kate Moss, Kendall Jenner, Emily Ratajkowski, Gigi Hadid, Heidi Klum, Shota Matsuda, Takashi Murakami, Verdy, Carine Roitfeld, Linda Evangelista, Steven Meisel, and Sofia Coppola. These activities have helped position the brand as a meeting point for publishing and fashion culture rather than as a conventional general-interest bookstore. Events have ranged from celebrity book signings and magazine launches to photography exhibitions and art installations. The brand also uses limited-edition merchandise and collaborations to connect publishing with Marc Jacobs's broader fashion business. In 2013, Bookmarc collaborated with Brooklyn artist Wes Lang on a limited-edition gold stationery item. Its product mix has generally emphasized collectible and visually distinctive objects that can appeal to both readers and fashion consumers. Several Bookmarc stores have experienced changes as part of the wider Marc Jacobs retail network. In 2016, multiple Marc Jacobs locations in Los Angeles closed, including Bookmarc. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the physical bookstore operation was disrupted, and the brand offered online programming through Instagram Live. A recurring Thursday question-and-answer format included a conversation between model Tonne Goodman and fashion editor Wendy Goodman. The Manhattan store later resumed hosting public programming, including publishing and photography events reported in 2023. Bookmarc's positioning is therefore built around curated cultural discovery, fashion-community access, and the experiential value of a bookstore that doubles as a branded social space. Its international footprint appears selective rather than mass-market, and publicly available material does not establish a complete current store count or a separate corporate financial profile. The brand remains closely associated with Marc Jacobs and its parent luxury-fashion environment.

Bookmarc was established in 2010 by fashion designer Marc Jacobs and executive Brian Duffy as a bookstore extension of the Marc Jacobs retail world. The initial locations were in New York City and Los Angeles. The Manhattan store opened on Bleecker Street in the West Village, in a storefront previously occupied by Biography Book Shop, and formed part of a broader group of Marc Jacobs stores launched in the neighborhood. The expansion attracted criticism from some local observers, who viewed the arrival of another luxury-fashion storefront as a threat to the area's independent retail character. From the beginning, Bookmarc was designed as more than a bookseller. Its assortment centered on art, photography, fashion, design, and culture, while the stores also carried branded goods and provided space for author appearances, exhibitions, and other events. The format allowed Marc Jacobs to connect its fashion audience with publishers, photographers, artists, models, actors, musicians, and editors. The brand's international expansion began in 2012 with stores in Paris and London. The London location gained attention when Kate Moss signed copies of The Kate Moss Book there. In 2013, Bookmarc opened a Tokyo location in Shibuya. Designed by Jaklitsch/Gardner Architects, the Tokyo store became an important setting for the brand's art and publishing activities. That year, Bookmarc also worked with Brooklyn artist Wes Lang on a limited-edition gold stationery product, illustrating its use of artist collaborations and collectible merchandise. Bookmarc's event program grew during the middle and late 2010s. The Manhattan store hosted a LOVE Magazine signing with Kendall Jenner, Emily Ratajkowski, and Gigi Hadid in 2015, with proceeds benefiting Designers Against Aids. In 2017, Tokyo hosted actor Shota Matsuda's photography-book debut, accompanied by music and an exhibition. The Manhattan store hosted signings involving Marie-Amélie Sauvé, Heidi Klum, and other publishing figures. In 2018, the Ukiyo-e Project presented an exhibition related to David Bowie, developed with Brian Duffy and Terry O'Neill. In 2019, Wendy Goodman launched Point of View in Manhattan, while Takashi Murakami and Verdy presented an exhibition in Tokyo. The store network changed as Marc Jacobs adjusted its broader retail estate. In 2016, several Los Angeles Marc Jacobs stores closed, including Bookmarc locations. Publicly available accounts do not provide a complete, consistently updated list of all stores or a separate financial history for Bookmarc. The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the physical bookstore operation. Rather than relying solely on in-person events, Bookmarc used Instagram Live to continue cultural programming, including a recurring Thursday question-and-answer segment. One documented session featured Tonne Goodman in conversation with fashion editor Wendy Goodman. This response demonstrated the brand's ability to treat programming and community engagement as central parts of its identity rather than as secondary store activities. In September 2023, the Manhattan location hosted a series of publishing events, including celebrations for Carine Roitfeld's Fantasies, Linda Evangelista and Steven Meisel's photography book, and Sofia Coppola's archival volume. These events reaffirmed Bookmarc's role as a fashion and image-making venue. Across its history, the brand has remained a selective, design-conscious bookstore concept closely tied to Marc Jacobs, with a business model and identity built around curated publications, branded objects, and cultural access.

• 2023

  Manhattan publishing-event program continues

  [1]Bookmarcen.wikipedia.org

  The Manhattan store hosts launches and signings for books by Carine Roitfeld, Linda Evangelista and Steven Meisel, and Sofia Coppola.

• 2016

  Los Angeles locations close

  [1]Bookmarcen.wikipedia.org

  Several Los Angeles Marc Jacobs stores, including Bookmarc, close.

• 2013

  Tokyo store opens

  [1]Bookmarcen.wikipedia.org

  A Bookmarc store opens in Tokyo's Shibuya ward, designed by Jaklitsch/Gardner Architects.

• 2012

  International expansion begins

  [1]Bookmarcen.wikipedia.org

  Bookmarc opens locations in Paris and London.

• 2010

  First Bookmarc stores open

  [1]Bookmarcen.wikipedia.org

  Marc Jacobs and Brian Duffy open Bookmarc locations in New York City and Los Angeles.

A fashion-led specialty bookstore and cultural-event platform combining curated publishing, collectible merchandise, and programming across art, photography, fashion, design, and popular culture.

• Books · 2010

  Art and photography books

  Bookmarc's core assortment consists of curated art and photography titles, including visually led monographs, exhibition-related publications, and books connected with fashion and popular culture.

• Books and periodicals · 2010

  Fashion books and magazines

  The stores stock fashion books, independent magazines, and editorial projects that reflect the brand's connection to designers, models, photographers, stylists, and fashion media.

• Branded goods · 2010

  Bookmarc branded merchandise

  Alongside publications, Bookmarc sells branded objects and fashion-oriented merchandise, allowing the bookstore identity to operate as a collectible extension of Marc Jacobs retail.

• Stationery · 2013

  Limited-edition stationery collaborations

  Bookmarc has produced limited-edition stationery collaborations, including a gold stationery item created with Brooklyn artist Wes Lang in 2013.

• 2020Instagram Live pandemic programming

  International

  During the COVID-19 disruption, Bookmarc used Instagram Live for recurring Thursday question-and-answer programming.

  Outcome. The initiative maintained cultural engagement while physical bookstore activity was suspended.

  Source
• 2015LOVE Magazine signing for Designers Against Aids

  United States

  The Manhattan store hosted a signing involving Kendall Jenner, Emily Ratajkowski, and Gigi Hadid connected with LOVE Magazine.

  Outcome. The event benefited Designers Against Aids and reinforced Bookmarc's role as a fashion-community venue.

  Source

• 2020

  Move cultural programming online during the pandemicOther

  Background

  The COVID-19 pandemic forced the physical bookstore operation to close temporarily.

  Action taken

  Bookmarc facilitated online conversations and question-and-answer sessions through Instagram Live.

  Aftermath

  The brand preserved an events-oriented relationship with its audience until in-person programming could resume.

  Source

• 2012

  Expand Bookmarc internationallyStrategy

  Background

  Following the initial United States launch, the concept was developed as an international component of Marc Jacobs retail.

  Action taken

  Bookmarc locations opened in Paris and London, followed by Tokyo in 2013.

  Aftermath

  The international stores supported a broader program of signings, exhibitions, and artist-led events.

  Source

• 2010

  Launch a bookstore within the Marc Jacobs retail ecosystemStrategy

  Background

  Marc Jacobs sought to extend its retail presence into publishing, art, and cultural programming.

  Action taken

  The brand opened Bookmarc stores in New York City and Los Angeles, combining bookselling, branded merchandise, and event space.

  Aftermath

  The concept expanded to Europe and Japan and became a recurring platform for fashion, art, and publishing events.

  Source

1. 1Bookmarcen.wikipedia.org