Handbags 101: What's in a Name?

No one emailed in this question (hint hint - bagsforb.tches@gmail.com), but oddly enough it came up twice this past weekend while I was home in good ol' Maryland for a Bar Mitzvah.

What, exactly, is the difference between Marc Jacobs and Marc by Marc Jacobs?

The Marc Jacobs Collection (or MJ for his personal friends, like me!) was launched in 1986 and consists of high-priced clothing, bags, and shoes. Marc by Marc Jacobs, on the other hand, didn't debut until 2001, and is made up of much more reasonably priced items focused more on the mass-market.

In this context, reasonably priced means $500 and not $1,200 - when it comes to handbags, it's all relative.

If you look at the two lines as a collection, the differences will become even more apparent.

First, Marc Jacobs Collection:





Next, the bastard step-child, Marc by Marc Jacobs:




MJ isn't the only one with multiple collections that have different price points and target audiences. Michael Kors, in addition to his signature lable, has both MICHAEL Michael Kors and KORS Michael Kors. And Oscar De La Renta has his eponymous collection in addition to O. And there are many, many others.

What say you, readers? Do you prefer the Marc Jacobs Collection or Marc by Marc Jacobs?