MARTIN MARGIELA — MYSTERIOUS AND BRILLIANT

Martin Margiela is one of the most mysterious characters, yet known in every corner of the globe, in the field of fashion. A creative mind that has revolutionized fashion dictates, giving shape to seemingly unstructured garments with a strong visual impact, that denote Margiela's talent in anticipating the times and setting new trends Margiela achieved international fame while maintaining a shy and allergic attitude to the spotlight. The same attitude that led him to silently leave the fashion scene without any public announcement. He founded his own brand in 1988 and based everything on his own creations. He never allowed himself be photographed or interviewed in person; only answering journalists' questions by fax. His clothing tags were either left blank or displayed a circled number, because for Margiela the collections were everything, there was nothing else, no distractions or personal involvement, except when creating his designs. During the launch of the fall / winter 1995 1996 collection he was the first stylist to have models wear masks to ensure that the garments were the stars, this in the era of the supermodel, when the reviews were more about the models themselves rather than the garments. There are few established facts about his life: it is known that he was born on April 9, 1957 in Eastern Belgium, precisely in Genk, a small industrial centre. In 1979 he graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and immediately moved to Milan, where he worked as a freelancer until 1984, when he moved to Paris to work as an assistant to Jean Paul Gauthier, who said about him: "I already knew he was good, but I didn't understand what he was aiming for.” It is precisely in the period of collaboration with the master Gauthier that the young designer realized how burdensome fame is, constantly in the spotlight and the object of the famously invasive paparazzi. His life: the meeting with Jenny Meirens, his partner and friend. Jenny is the owner of a fashion boutique in Brussels, also known for supporting young designers. She is also known for organizing press conferences in her boutique for stylists such as Rey Kawakubo and Comme des Garcons, press conferences that Margiela himself used to attend. This meeting became a turning point in Martin's life. Jenny declared that his work was unique and in 1988 together they created the Maison Martin Margiela (MMM) brand. The spectacular fashion show of the 1989 spring-summer collection made it clear to everyone that Margiela is not a passionate lover of conformity. Totally transparent fabrics sporting a tattoo-like motif, apron dresses paired with evening jackets, raw edges and hanging threads: all this experimentalism provoked a reaction from critics who defined the designer as a destroyer of clothes. Meanwhile, the brand continued to grow and opened an office in the centre of Paris, the capital of fashion. For the eccentric stylist, every occasion was occasion to shock, his shows took place in the streets, in subway stations, at the entrance to homes, even in fields. Invitations were sent on telegrams, pieces of paper with telephone numbers, on maps of Paris and even disposable coffee cups. At the 1994 fashion show he showed himself in public for the last time. Despite the shocking visuals and extravagance, Martin never lost touch with the surrounding reality. Once he too said that "Fashion is a profession, not an art". Surprisingly, in 1997 he became the creative director of Hermès. Maison Martin Margiela was taken over by the Diesel Group at the beginning of the millennium and has undergone several changes, as Diesel expected more commercial collections and a more profit-oriented approach. Following ensuing conflicts, Martin Margiela finally left the company in 2009 and, following the announcement of the loss, an anonymous internal team of designers took over the management of the label. Although Margiela expressed a desire to entrust the management to the Belizean fashion designer Raf Simons, a team of designers who had previously worked with Martin Margiela created the collections until 2014. After his abdication, the president of the Diesel Group Renzo Rosso appointed controversial former designer John Galliano as creative director of Maison Martin Margiela. But the genius of Martin Margiela continues to be talked about, just a few days ago the exhibition curated by the Belgian designer and artist was finally inaugurated at the Lafayette Anticipations foundation in Paris. Over 20 works of art that explore some of the stylist’s obsessions, who at the time exorcised two particular demons through his collections: the passage of time that creates and destroys; and hair and wigs. These due to Martin growing up in a family of hairdressers, spending his childhood in the family salons - the silences, aging and worldliness, from which he has always fled. An almost irrational exhibition, it reflects the theme of obsession. A maze-like arrangement where absence dominates, in which the public enters through a hidden back door and is catapulted directly into the torments of the artist / designer. Many of the works of art on display are hidden by random covers or curtains that are removed totally at random by the foundation's employees. "It is a form of metaphor, an analogy of the idea of an existential search, the meaning of life," said Rebecca Lamarche-Vadel, director of the gallery. A cathartic attempt to dig into the empty chapters of our life. In fact, the exhibition has no title to accentuate this catharsis and leave the viewer with complete freedom of interpretation. An anthropomorphic bus stop, huge tarps with trompe l'oeil prints, five spheres shaped like heads characterized by 5 different shades of hair colour that symbolize the inexorable passage of time and the effects it has on the human body, these some of the works created by Martin Margiela for his first solo show ever. As has been the practice established over many years in the fashion world, the Belgian designer was not present at the inauguration and did not give interviews. Even in this "new" career as an artist, Margiela remains anonymous. The first Martin Margiela art exhibition in Paris will remain open to the public until January 2, after which a world tour is scheduled which will most likely begin in China. To see it in Europe we would presumably have to wait until mid-2022.

a personal wardrobe — photography Guido Verelst

As your self — Martin Margiela — photography Mark Borthwick instyle news magazine ryukot sushin 6 june 2002 vol 468

AW 1990/91 Regina magazine — photography Ronald Stoops 

Backless top made from labels of used clothes SS2001 — Photography Ronald Stoops

Colette Maison Martin Margiela — photography Pierre Bailly — i-D magazine no.285 march 2008

Duvet coat AW1999/2000 —photography Maison Martin Margiela

For dedicated followers of fashion — Laetizia Venezia Martin Margiela — photography Michel Momy — i-D the kinetic issue no184 march 1999

Kristina De Coninck, an unfinished square off fabric was transformed into a dress with an irregular hemline — SS1997 photography Ronald Stoops

Maison Martin Margiela AW1996/97 — photography Marina Faust

Margiela in Las Vegas — photography Terry Richardson —Instyle news magazine ryuko tsushin vol468 june 2006

Martin Margiela AW1990/91 — photography Ronald Stoops

Martin Mmargiela for Hermes —FW1999 photography John Midgley Dutch 17 1998

Martin Margiela photography kitayama studio voice vol 271 july1998

Martin Margiela SS1998 snapshots photography Monica Ho Margiela the Hermes years book