The Marc Jacobs guide to Instagram

In a not-so-distant past, Marc Jacobs did not like Instagram. "I am so appalled by the whole social media thing," he said in a 2015 Vogue interview with Suzy Menkes, admitting that he was “just not of that generation” – you know, the one who would probably rather sacrifice a toe before giving up their iPhones. But this is fashion after all, and nothing stays the same for long. In just a few weeks, Jacobs had signed himself up for an account with a portrait captioned simply – and rather brilliantly – “No filter, (some filler)!”. Thus, he set the tone for what would soon become the industry’s favourite designer account. Candid, humorous and never far from the press, there’s a lot we can learn from his own brand of social media savvy (Zoolander tribute videos included).

THE PERFECT SELFIE NEEDS THE PERFECT COMPOSITION

Reclining against a backdrop of flowers...towering topless into the sky like an adonis…artfully matching the precise shade of his jumper with the bouquet in the backdrop…lounging in silk pyjamas and Gucci loafers in front of the mirror...Marc Jacobs gives great selfie. Arguably the most divisive of all the Instagram-induced trends, the humble self portrait requires a certain set of skills to ensure it toes the line between natural and narcissistic. Jacobs has it down – his selfies are posed without being pompous, intimate without being too NSFW and always topped off with killer captions.

LIFE SHOULD BE LIVED WITH #NOFILTER

Unlike many who use Instagram as a strictly curated outlet to project the most perfect version of themselves, Jacobs’ feed is wonderfully down to earth. He’s said “big deal” on his Grindr usage, laughed at the gossip columns and even had the perfect comeback to an accidental nude (printing a t-shirt with its caption on). Similarly, when a questionable tell-all that pondered the state of both Jacobs’ health and business was published, he wasn’t afraid to speak out about it – “I hope you will someday find something, somewhere that gives you pleasure...and not at another's expense” he wrote to the writer. “Sincerely and disrespectfully, Marc (Jacobs).”

THERE IS AN ART TO THE #TBT

Let’s face it, no-one other than our mothers wants to see a picture from two months ago passed off as a throwback. Thankfully, Jacobs has an ample archive to revisit – from his controversial Perry Ellis grunge collection to snaps with the likes of Lil’ Kim, Kate Moss, Shalom Harlow and plenty of others. Of course, we don’t all have the same famous friend group or appearances on Andy Warhol’s TV show to fall back on, but Jacobs demonstrates that a winning #tbt needs no more than to be a truly retro personal throwback – bonus points for great, old school hair.

FRIENDS (AND DOGS) ARE WORTH MORE THAN FOLLOWERS

From ‘at home with Raf and Phoebe’ to kissing Kate Moss, Jacobs’ Instagram is as much a platform for his friendships as his fashion, proving that even with almost 400,000 fans, friends comes first. He also used the app to unveil his epic AW15 campaign, which gathered together pals new and old – including Cher, Winona Ryder, Sofia Coppola, Willow Smith, Kim Gordon and Coco Gordon Moore. Of course, his beloved dogs also make frequent appearances – when they aren’t too busy updating their own personal feeds, that is.