Sundance Channel Sews Up U.S. Television Rights to Loic Prigent's Documentary Marc Jacobs & Louis Vuitton

Sundance Channel Sews Up U.S. Television Rights to Loic Prigent's Documentary Marc Jacobs & Louis Vuitton

Witty Journey into World of Acclaimed Fashion Designer Jacobs to Premiere in February 2008

NEW YORK, Oct. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Sundance Channel has acquired U.S. broadcast rights to Loic Prigent's Marc Jacobs & Louis Vuitton, a documentary that captures the celebrated 44-year-old fashion designer Marc Jacobs at work. The deal was negotiated by Sundance Channel Senior Vice President Acquisitions, Program Planning and Scheduling Christian Vesper and Emmanuelle Erbsmann, Arte France Head of Sales, on behalf of the filmmakers. Marc Jacobs & Louis Vuitton will make its U.S. television premiere on Sundance Channel in February 2008.

Marc Jacobs & Louis Vuitton journeys inside the professional world of Marc Jacobs, widely considered the most influential designer of his generation. A six-time winner of fashion's highest honor, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Award, Jacobs designs ready-to-wear clothing and accessories for two of the world's most successful and fashion-forward brands: his own eponymous American line, which he and partner Robert Duffy launched in 1986; and the venerable French company Louis Vuitton, which Jacobs joined as artistic director in 1997. Founded in 1854 and immediately recognizable by its interlocking "LV" logo, Vuitton is part of the French luxury goods empire LVMH (Moet Hennessey Louis Vuitton). Jacobs, a native New Yorker who based his infamous 1992 "grunge" collection on Seattle's music scene, may have seemed an odd choice to steer Vuitton's first foray into ready-to-wear when he was hired by LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault. Under Jacobs' stewardship, however, Vuitton has not only remained the most profitable arm of LVMH -- it has become positively hip.

Marc Jacobs & Louis Vuitton is a witty, colorful and occasionally whimsical portrait of this maverick designer, his influences and his creative process. Prigent previously captured the world of haute couture in the acclaimed miniseries "Signe Chanel," which also aired on Sundance Channel. Prigent is the first filmmaker who has been granted access to Jacobs' workrooms -- and he makes the most of it. Marc Jacobs & Louis Vuitton joins the designer in New York as he readies his signature collection for the catwalk; in Tokyo, where the deep-pocketed LVMH re-stages Jacobs' latest Vuitton runway show and throws one hell of a party; and in Paris, where Jacobs and his team conceptualize, refine and execute the Vuitton Spring 2007 collection. It reveals Jacobs as a smart, charming dynamo who loves his work but doesn't take himself too seriously; a quirky talent who draws together disparate thematic threads -- from cookies to Cubism -- as he conjures clothes, bags and shoes that will be coveted by stylish women of all ages.

The film also features interviews with some of Jacobs' longstanding friends and admirers, including filmmaker Sofia Coppola; author Francine Prose; Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, who collaborated with Jacobs on a wildly successful series of candy-colored accessories for Vuitton; and renowned art dealer Larry Gagosian, who has come to know the designer through his passionate acquisition of modern art.

Under the creative direction of Robert Redford, Sundance Channel is the television destination for independent-minded viewers seeking something different. Bold, uncompromising and irreverent, Sundance Channel offers audiences a diverse and engaging selection of films, documentaries, and original programs, all unedited and commercial free. Launched in 1996, Sundance Channel is a venture of NBC Universal, CBS and Robert Redford. Sundance Channel operates independently of the non-profit Sundance Institute and the Sundance Film Festival, but shares the overall Sundance mission of encouraging artistic freedom of expression. Sundance Channel's website address is www.sundancechannel.com.

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Source: Sundance Channel

CONTACT: Sarah Eaton, Senior Vice President, Public Relations, +1-917-
593-4100, cell @ MIP, sarah.eaton@sundancechannel.com, or Katie Lanegran,
Senior Director, Public Relations, +1-212-708-8044,
katie.lanegran@sundancechannel.com, both of Sundance Channel

Web site: http://www.sundancechannel.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment