The fashion crowd was back at the New York Public Library on Monday night ahead of the Fourth of July holiday weekend to revel in Marc Jacobs latest collection of dreamlike Victorian beauties.

Per usual, Jacobs’ show notes set the stage for the five minute fall collection runway show of concise 19 looks, which each packed a punch to the soft tune of ‘Song for Jesse’ by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. 

“Beauty,” the notes read. “A quality or combination of qualities that gives pleasure to the mind or senses and is often associated with properties such as harmony of form or color, proportion, and authenticity.”

Jacobs, during a recent conversation with author and former WWD executive editor Bridget Foley at La Maison Orveda’s debut fireside chat of its Cultural Tastemakers programming series, spoke about his ongoing inspirations and evolution.

“It’s been more interesting to think about clothes in a sculptural way and without being pretentious or arrogant — we do it our way, which usually has a reference to something known,” he said. “When I wear fashion, I want a real shoulder commitment, I want a silhouette going, and I want to feel involved. Fashion is really special and it’s something you don’t need. It’s not a mere piece of cloth to cover your body. It’s something that pulls at your heart.”

His words came to mind on Monday night, seen through through the fall collection, a fabulous continuation of the larger than life, twisted, doll-like takes on the familiar – the vocabulary he’s been developing strongly over the last few years. Jacobs leaned into Victorian shapes mixed with a bit of grunge, as seen through look one model’s giant lilac lace blouse, grounded with extra large and baggy cargo pants featuring a big bow on its rear. There were bows galore, also seen on the backs of almost every look, including gorgeous sculptural lace gowns (in pretty pastels or darker, vampy hues) and cinched up or pin-tucked big pants; in the models’ hair, or twisted into a bulbous, pale pink layered lingerie dress that fell off the body just-so.

Jacobs continued his story with ditsy wallpaper floral prints and pastel lace, whipping them into exaggerated Victorian doll silhouettes, some of which hugged closer to the body than in recent seasons before exploding out into pouffed shoulders and hems. His sculptural blouses were knockouts – a billowing floral version on Alex Consani; a rounded, polka-dot rendition on model Wali Deutsch, or a sweet but strong white lace one worn by Sascha Rajasalu – but really, so were each of the designer’s sixteen other looks.

Once again through fashion, Jacobs transported his guests into an otherworldly escape of fairytale, dreamlike beauty.