A Review on the Maison Martin Margiela Galliera 1989/2009
In an era of groupthink, artificial personal image, and the search for mass approval, the fashion industry community was due for a look back at the legendary work of one Maison Martin Margiela. Veiled in anonymity and soaked in ideas, Margiela personified what it means to think outside the box. In the brilliantly curated exhibit, Maison Martin Margiela 1989/2009, at the Palais Galliera in Paris, the audience drags their jaws through the presentation of the legendary designer’s genesis to swan song. Through garment archives, mixed media, and anecdotes, one cannot help but realize how Margiela challenged and reimagined nearly every aspect of the industry; from sourcing and presentation, to body image and proportion.
Margiela’s genius lies in his ability to experiment unconventionally without his work becoming a gimmick. How he could make a shirt entirely out of tube socks and re-stain fishing waders to layer underneath sheer tights and make it look entirely high fashion, speaks volumes to how far he was willing to push boundaries. This method of repurposing and deconstructing materials put into question the very definition of luxury and demonstrates his extraordinary creativity.
left: stained fishing waiters, sheer tights, button down
The S/S 1993 collection probably best exemplifies Margiela’s originality in construction and ability to create unprecedented intrigue through presentation.
Purchased from a defunct theatre company in France, Margiela transformed auctioned Victorian costumes into a two-headed masterpiece. With the costumes in poor condition, the ‘destroy-artists’ dyed half the garments black and bleached the other then embroidered, duct taped, and accoutered each model in his Tabi boot. As if that isn’t captivating enough, the show was split in to two separate locations scheduled to run simultaneously; black walking in a parking lot at a home rumored to belong to Boris Vian, and white staged at an abandoned hospice turned artists’ squat. Unreal.
Above: dyed and bleached garments from SS93 Collection
So, what makes a designer original? I believe the answer lies in the deep impression left in every individual at the end of this very exhibit. As did Margiela’s collections each season, around each corner of this showcase marked yet another unorthodox execution, thought-provoking concept, fascinating display, and reinvention of his aesthetic. When the consumers of the brand and audience of the man learn to expect the unexpected, Margiela gained the authority and capacity to influence a generation of new thinkers.
