The Mastery of Martin Margiela

March 19, 2018

For Martin Margiela’s Spring '93 collection, reconstructed theater costumes were split into black or white. Each half was shown separately, but simultaneously, at opposite ends of Montmartre Cemetery. Guests were only permitted to see half the collection. In the Spring '96 collection, he sent models down the runway with their feet taped onto the soles of shoes. For his very first show, models deliberately wet their shoes in red paint to stamp a white tablecloth catwalk, that would later be used in future collections.

Collections showed in the outskirts of Paris, warehouses, abandoned metro stations, clear rejections of the fashion norms. If you weren’t part of the small percentage that got to witness the genius of Martin Margiela during his time at the design house, the retrospective at Palais Galliera in Paris offers a more than sufficient solace.

Text by Justine Hwang
Images courtesy of Palais Galliera

All his most historic garments are displayed: the collection exploring mesh and plastic coverings; the deconstructions and reapplications of vintage clothing; the exposure of the construction process from pattern paper to seams; the never-ending iterations of tabis. In a glass case sits the antique XXXL dress form Margiela used to create his oversized collection, whose bold presence reminds you that as adventurous as his collections may appear, the designer was serious about his art. It is why the designer has made such a lasting impression and continues to influence present trends. The retrospective could be a diet_prada goldmine, showcasing all the times Margiela did it first. It’s not a far stretch to say that Demna Gvasalia, who spent time working at the design house, still pulls inspiration from the archives, including his oversized clothes and stocking-like shoes. Even for Balenciaga’s Spring 18 Menswear show, featuring children and families as models, felt akin to Margiela’s A/W ’89 show which had local kids running along-side the models.

Bottines Tabi Taguees 1991, Manches Gants 1994

But, maybe above all else, the craziest thing Margiela ever did, was remain anonymous. As a person, he avoided interviews and public appearances. As a brand, he never splashed the logo over every surface possible, or marked everything in sight with “iconic” signatures, or valued the name over the design. His legacy wasn’t built on his tag--even that doesn’t bear his name--it was built from his creativity and his confidence to do whatever he wanted.

The show will be on view through July 15th.

Fashion

I am the makeup on your eyes

PRINCESS GOLLUM wears HAT by HELENA EISENHART, SHIRT by CD1974, EARRINGS by KARTHUR all c/o RETAIL PHARMACY, and BRACELET by MARTINE ALI

PRINCESS GOLLUM wears NECKLACE by CHRIS HABANA, SCARF by ALEXANDER WANG, EARRINGS by MARTINE ALI

PRINCESS GOLLUM wears JACKET by ALEXANDER WANG, SHIRT by BLONDITA SHOP, SKIRT by GOOD MANNERS, BOOTS by FERRAGAMO, JEWELRY by MARTINE ALI

PRINCESS GOLLUM wears DRESS and BODYSUIT by RUI, BELT by HOLLYWOOD LOWBROW c/o RETAIL PHARMACY, BOOTS by FERRAGAMO

Fashion

Go-See Situation

Agnès is wearing a top from Peng Tai, a skirt from IRO Paris and boots from GmbH

Moli is wearing a top from Mengche Chiang, a dress from r . l . e with with tights from Wolford, ring from Julia Bartsch and shoes from empty behavior

Chloe is wearing a top from Acne Studios, pants from MM6 with a belt from Julia Bartsch, sunglasses from Uvex and shoes from Proenza Schouler

Glory is wearing a shirt from IRO Paris, pants from peng tai and shoes from Yume Yume

Timothée is wearing a shirt from Paloma Wool, pants from helios Emil and shoes from Yume Yume

Youssef is wearing a shirt from Dries Van Noten, pants, boots and underwear from GmbH, and a vintage hat

Fashion

The People of Lang

April 05, 2024

“The person gives meaning and value to the clothes and not the other way around,” said Peter Do of Helmut Lang SS24, his debut collection for the brand, which has finally hit the shelves.

It is an interesting, if not provocative choice — not only to ont put the garments primary, but to focus not on the “people,” as in a collective, but the “person,” as singular. It's a nod to what the brand has set out to establish since Do’s arrival, framing dressing as a system. It's a democratic formula which feeds off individuality and personal expression, relying upon character as opposed to custom. It’s a manifestation of personality, a farewell to performance. And it leaves us with one question, who is person enough to embody such a humble request?

By Vilda Krog
Photography by Huy Luoung
Styling by Jason Rider

The person in motion, the person of passion, the people passing by on the street who don’t care where you’re going, because they’re on a mission of their own. As Do crafts his garments, likewise do these individuals carve out their paths for themselves. No rules, no guidelines, and if there were — aren’t those meant to be broken? Suggestively, Do broke several rules once he interrogated assumptions around everyday dress back in September last year. Criticism came from more than one place at once. However, by staying true to his vision, he’s already beginning to see the fruits of his labor: his system of dressing, crystallized. It's subtly arrogant, yet widely accessible, dynamic, and utilitarian: it's a blazer, those striped trousers, that turtleneck top, and the traditional flattering denims. In other words, it's your carte blanche, thus let their personality be the color.

Who are they? The campaign, photographed by Huy Luoung and styled by Jason Rider, stars An-My Le, Armina Howanda Mussa, Ash Owens, Connor Sen Warnick, Devin B. Johnson, Eli Ping, Frederique Thiollet, John Yuyi, Kai Avent-Deleon, Linda Rodin, Michael Abel, Mindy Seu, Minjae Kim, Oscar Yi Hou, Sam Stewart, Sophia Roe, Steph Shiu, Yahdon Israel.

Usually, I’d hesitate to spell out more than four names, but in this case, perhaps we should consider them adjectives. Not at the expense of individuality. But rather, the definition of it.