Maison Martin Margiela
I feel like this entry will close out most research i wanted to do on my favourite European designers. I've written on Raf, Hedi, McQueen and Helmut - all that's really left is Maison Martin Margiela.
Margiela studied fashion at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp where the other Antwerp Five also attended. He served as a design assistant for Gaultier from 1984-1987 and established his eponymous brand in 1988.
In 1997, Margiela was appointed the artistic director of the Hermes women’s collection before he launched his debut menswear collection for MMM in S/S 1999.
In 2006, MMM showed its first haute couture collection under its
A familiar part of the Margiela line is a series of recurring
MMM pieces as a general rule lack any external branding elements. The only clearly branded feature is a removable tag, which features a sequence of printed numbers. Many of its hallmarks revolve aroudn blending in, meaning a rejection of some of the traditional branding and marketing techniques employed by most fashion companies. What most people consider as a de facto logo - the four white stitches on teh back of a white, numerical label - had, in fact, the opposite purpose: stitches were meant to be cut off so the garment would be without a label and logo whatsover.
The color white itself, now synonymous with the brand, was chosen for its anonymous nature because, conceptually, it can be seen as undefined. The Maison says white is
The years following Margiela's departure in 2009 marked a new period of commercialization for the label.
You know in summary, there's not actually much that stands out to me delving deeper into Margiela's work. I get that he has an emphasis on anonymity and wearable minimalism much like Helmut, but i don't see myself having a personal connection to these pieces as a result of that. Maybe his work transcends the world of art/fashion, but i don't think i'm ready for that just yet. Not a big fan of the replica sneakers either, no Margiela for me i guess.
Margiela studied fashion at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp where the other Antwerp Five also attended. He served as a design assistant for Gaultier from 1984-1987 and established his eponymous brand in 1988.
In 1997, Margiela was appointed the artistic director of the Hermes women’s collection before he launched his debut menswear collection for MMM in S/S 1999.
In 2006, MMM showed its first haute couture collection under its
ArtisanalLine, a practice that continues to this day.
A familiar part of the Margiela line is a series of recurring
Replicapreexisting vintage garments, accessories and other articles that Maison Margiela finds and re-makes using materials and techniques that most closely resemble the original. They are lavishly reproduced and carry a second label explaining their original, function and period. These items represent the idea of timelessness in design and perhaps the most popular iteration within the line are the now iconic German Army Trainers that continue to appear seasonally in various colorways and styles.
MMM pieces as a general rule lack any external branding elements. The only clearly branded feature is a removable tag, which features a sequence of printed numbers. Many of its hallmarks revolve aroudn blending in, meaning a rejection of some of the traditional branding and marketing techniques employed by most fashion companies. What most people consider as a de facto logo - the four white stitches on teh back of a white, numerical label - had, in fact, the opposite purpose: stitches were meant to be cut off so the garment would be without a label and logo whatsover.
The color white itself, now synonymous with the brand, was chosen for its anonymous nature because, conceptually, it can be seen as undefined. The Maison says white is
neutral, the binary opposite of black, or a blank canvas.
The years following Margiela's departure in 2009 marked a new period of commercialization for the label.
You know in summary, there's not actually much that stands out to me delving deeper into Margiela's work. I get that he has an emphasis on anonymity and wearable minimalism much like Helmut, but i don't see myself having a personal connection to these pieces as a result of that. Maybe his work transcends the world of art/fashion, but i don't think i'm ready for that just yet. Not a big fan of the replica sneakers either, no Margiela for me i guess.
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