Article: Marc of genius ; As his first London store opens, Marc Jacobs talks about handbags, size zero models and why he isn't joining the style crowds on the established top fashion streets

THERE is a large crowd outside Claridge's when I arrive to interview Marc Jacobs. Goodness, I think, he is even more popular than I imagined. But no: they are here to catch a glimpse of Mariah Carey, another guest at the hotel. In the lobby, it is as though some phantom product placement team has gone around hanging Marc Jacobs bags off every woman's arm. In the five minutes that I sit waiting for him, I spot six: three Stams, two Speedys and a Venetia.

Of course, you can't judge a designer's importance in the firmament simply by looking at the popularity of his bags (or can you?), but it is no coincidence that Jacobs's bags are the most lustedafter in the world today, just as his influence ...

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