For fashion kids everywhere, Marc Jacobs is a golden god.His influence can be seen on red carpets, dance floors, and sidewalks. His runway show invites are highly coveted, and sometimes even framed. His model posse—Kate, Naomi, Jamie, Karen, Cara, Kendall—is like a Girl Gang on steroids. His work with artists like Takashi Murakami, Yayoi Kusama, and Richard Prince has brought art and commerce to a new level that other designers stilltry to reach. And his brand makes a damn fine eyeliner.So when Parsons School of Design asked if we'd like to meet Mr. Jacobs before he received the school's Lifetime Achievement Award, we said "yes" faster than a Chinatown tourist lunging for fake Jacobs-era Vuitton.Here are his thoughts on the road from fashion student to style icon.You were selling your own clothes before you even graduated from Parsons. Was there anything school could really teach you about fashion?

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That's a really hard question… it's true I was making clothes since I was a teenager, but there were things that I learned at Parsons about draping techniques, about sewing techniques, about the technical aspects of design… but the big thing I learned there was work ethic.A current student told me it's where you learn 'the art of the all-nighter.'

Oh, definitely. They were always giving us so much homework. In the beginning, I thought, "This is insane. How do they expect us to handle this? I'm never going to get all my work done." But guess what? That's the industry. That's how you feel every day when you're running a label. And Parsons makes you handle it first.When you were creative director of Louis Vuitton, weren't you the first runway designer to work with Kanye West on a capsule collection?

Was I? Maybe… the way it happened was, Kanye called me on the telephone, because he wanted to talk about Murakami, the artist. He was a huge enthusiast, and he knew I'd worked with Murakami on a Vuitton collaboration [in 2002]. Well, our conversation about Murakami turned into a conversation about many other things, and it lasted for hours. We really got along, and it was a really fascinating conversation. Eventually, we began talking about sneakers, and that's how his partnership with Vuitton happened.And now you've created a monster?!

No, I wouldn't say that at all! Kanye is so intelligent, so creative, and so driven. Even [now] with his success, he still reads constantly, he studies art and fashion constantly. He has passion. He is always dedicated to his work, creatively. And I really like him.Your runway shows are styled so theatrically. How do you feel when women break down the looks and wear pieces in real life? Is that allowed?

Listen, "real" women are the reason the fashion industry exists. I am thrilled every time I see a woman on the street wearing [Marc Jacobs]... The way women choose to wear [Marc] is the way to wear it, because the clothes belong to them and their lives [and] their vision. We're very proud of that. We have a lot of love for women who wear Marc their way.What are you obsessed with right now, that has nothing to do with fashion?

My dog!Daisy?

No, Neville. I mean, Daisy, too, but I was thinking of Neville.Oh no. Do you like Neville better than Daisy?

[Laughing] I mean, please don't tell!

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