Marc Jacobs Honored French Award

Marc Jacobs has been the latest to receive one of most important French awards in culture. He was named a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) at a ceremony in Paris on Friday (22Jan10).

The award was given to Marc by Culture Minister Frédéric Mitterrand for his contribution to the fashion industry. Marc was called “an iconic designer, a gifted person, but also a hard worker.”

He has really done a lot for the business. Jacobs has been the creative director of French luxury label Louis Vuitton for many years already, since 1997, and since then the company has quadrupled its worth.

Together with Marc Nathalie Rykiel was honored this award. The fashion designer has long been a part of her Mother’s Sonia Rykiel brand.

The Ordre des Arts et des Lettres is an Order of France established on May 2, 1957 by the Minister of Culture. It was later confirmed as an Ordre national du Mérite by then-President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. The aim is to recognize significant contributions to the arts, literature, or related fields.

The people awarded don’t have to be French exclusively. But the government require that citizens of the country must be at least 30 years old, adhere to French civil law, and must have “significantly contributed to the enrichment of the French cultural inheritance.”

There are three grades – Commandeur, Officier, and Chevalier. The latter, which both Rykiel and Jacobs received, stipulates that a medallion is worn on ribbon on left breast.

Among those who have receaived the Order are: Kylie Minogue, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Redford, Ella Fitzgerald, Bob Dylan, Meryl Streep, Jude Law, George Clooney and others.

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