Belgian designer Martin Margiela (b. 1957) — whose life, career, and designs for handbags, clothing and shoes have become cult-collector obsessions — pushed those who attended his shows outside their comfort zones. In the years following the 1988 debut of Maison Martin Margiela, he toyed with creative and aesthetic paradoxes that persist in fashion today.
Consider the Spring/Summer 2001 shirt patchworked from vintage clothing labels, or his famous corset dresses made from tailoring dummies, from his Fall/Winter 1997 line. Or his oversize collection for Fall/Winter 2000. In 1992, Margiela told Dépêche Mode magazine, “My clothes appeal to women of a certain mindset rather than of a specific age or physique.”
Born in Genk, Belgium, in 1957, Margiela knew he wanted to be a fashion designer after catching glimpses of Parisian fashion on TV as a child. Although his parents discouraged this career choice as an oddly funny aspiration, Margiela enrolled in the fashion program of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp. There, he befriended and graduated a year ahead of the Antwerp Six — the acclaimed group of Belgian fashion designers comprising Dries Van Noten, Walter Van Beirendonck, Ann Demeulemeester, Marina Yee, Dirk Bikkembergs and Dirk Van Saene.
Like many of his contemporaries in the 1980s, Margiela understood Paris fashion but felt a deep resonance with the deconstructed beauty espoused by Japanese designers Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo, of Comme des Garçons. Margiela’s fascination with Japan influenced many of his earliest collections and designs, from a dress pieced together from broken plates to his iconic Tabi boots, inspired by the split-toe Japanese worker’s shoe, which dates back to the 15th century.
Margiela decided to launch his own line while working for renowned Paris designer Jean Paul Gaultier. With Belgian designer Jenny Meirens, Margiela established Maison Martin Margiela in the French capital in 1988.
Margiela’s debut show was nothing short of spectacular. Set in a packed Café de la Gare in the still-seedy Marais district, it was also scandalous to the Parisian fashion set of the time. The designer tore up the conventions of contemporary couture presentations, most notably having his models, plucked from the streets and wearing ink-blotted Tabis, wend their way through the crowd.
The show redefined the concept of the runway in a way that would later inspire such designers as Alexander McQueen and Demna Gvasalia.
While the notoriously private designer retired from fashion in 2009, for many Maison Martin Margiela collectors, his pieces capture the irreverence of the postwar, post-punk late 1980s and ’90s. Katy Rodriguez, cofounder of the cult vintage fashion shop Resurrection, is among those who felt a connection to Margiela’s clothing in the subliminal challenges it posed to the time’s beauty norms.
“Growing up in San Francisco and coming out of the end of punk rock, not wanting to be objectified, not wanting to be seen as a sexual object, not wanting your value to be just because you’re pretty — all those clothes played into all of that,” she says. “It really was a reflection of the kind of world the young people I knew at the time wanted to live in.”
John Galliano was named creative director at the house in 2014 and it rebranded as Maison Margiela in 2015.
Find vintage Maison Martin Margiela boots, evening dresses, jackets and more on 1stDibs.
Maison Martin Margiela Black Vest
By Maison Martin Margiela
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
This black vest from Maison Martin Margiela is a soft cotton flannel. Easy fastening with a snap front and buckle and strap in back to personalize the fit.
$9,420
Size: IT40/US 6; one size can fit most
Maison Martin Margiela 1stRetrospective Sheer Black Convertible Veil Wrap Apron
By Maison Martin Margiela
Located in Chicago, IL
As a variation of the traditional waiter apron that Belgian former fashion designer Martin Margiela reworked with his eponymous Maison Martin Margiela since its first collection for Spring/Summer 1989, this minimalist convertible transparent black chiffon rectangular garment, which can be styled as a tied face veil, jabot, wrap skirt or dress, was part of his 1994 first retrospective collection. The iconic corner-stitched textural white cotton brand label is stenciled with seemingly contradictory text referencing an earlier Fall/Winter 1990 collection. Instead of the blank label that had become internationally recognized among progressive fashion buyers during the brand's initial five years, this black print was added in this manner for only one collection during its founder's tenure. This distinct typography identifies the garment as one of his favorites that he reproduced from his first 10 fashion shows. This season-less self-curated retrospective collection without any new designs was unprecedented in the ready-to-wear luxury-fashion industry, which sold only newly-designed clothes typically two to five times annually. In the early 1990s, this old-made-new-again collection was astonishing for a Paris-based high-end brand, for which any lack of fresh designs for Spring had otherwise been attributed to the loss of an artistic director or the outbreak of war. Nevertheless, there are subtle differences of color, material and draping possibilities that make our re-edition unique from the referenced 1990 apron and from later "replicas", which was the term that Margiela printed on a different kind of label for his second self-curated retrospective in Spring 1999 following 10 more collections. Aside from the text-printed brand label with four characteristic hand-sewn corner stitches, the only other element that unified Margiela's first collection of favorites was that all the items were overdyed a darker color so that the clothes were various shades of grey, blue or black depending on the original color of the textile and how much dye the thread/yarn absorbed. The first Margiela apron...
ALEXANDER McQUEEN S/S 2000 Knit Black Cowl Neck Satin Suspender Strap Tank Top
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Thiensville, WI
ALEXANDER McQUEEN S/S 2000 Knit Black Cowl Neck Satin Suspender Strap Tank Top Brand / Manufacturer: Alexander McQueen Collection: S/S 2000 Style: Tank top...
$196Sale Price|30% Off
MAISON MARGIELA MM6 black mesh net blue cupro blend layered tank top S
By MM6 Maison Margiela
Located in Hong Kong, NT
MAISON MARGIELA MM6 black mesh net blue cupro blend layered tank top S Reference: VAEC/A00001 Brand: Maison Margiela Collection: MM6 Material: Cupro, Blend Color: Navy, Black Pattern...
Black Maison Margiela Virgin Wool-Blend Halter Jumpsuit Size EU 42
By Maison Martin Margiela
Located in New York, NY
Product Details: Black virgin wool-blend halter jumpsuit by Maison Margiela. Plunging neckline. Three pockets. Front and nape closures. 28" bust, 32" waist, 57.5" length, 11.75" shou...
Thierry Mugler Black Knitted Sheer Mesh Tank Top
By Thierry Mugler
Located in Sheung Wan, HK
- Vintage 90s Thierry Mugler black knitted vertical stripe sheer mesh tank top. This sexy tank top is rare! - Made in Italy. - Size M. - 90% Nylon, 7% Polyamide, 3% Elasthanne....
Maison Martin Margiela Vintage Spring 2003 100% Cotton Black Knit Top
By Maison Martin Margiela
Located in Antwerpen, Vlaams Gewest
Maison Martin Margiela by Martin Vintage Spring 2003 100% Cotton Black Knit Top This is a rare vintage knit top from Martin Margiela, made Spring 2003 100% Cotton Black Knit Top The ...
ALEXANDER McQUEEN S/S 2002 Black Multiway Five Strap Crisscross Knit Tank Top
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Thiensville, WI
ALEXANDER McQUEEN S/S 2002 Black Multiway Five Strap Crisscross Knit Tank Top Brand / Manufacturer: Alexander McQueen Collection: S/S 2002 Style: Tank Top Color(s): Black Lined: ...
Maison Martin Margiela Black Short Sleeved Top 2002
By Maison Martin Margiela
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Resurrection Vintage is thrilled to offer a vintage Maison Martin Margiela black short sleeved top from 2002, featuring a round neck, drop shoulders, wide short sleeves, and a slight...
Martin Margiela Artisanal Spring 200 Black Sheer Panels Dress
By Maison Martin Margiela
Located in Paris, FR
From the spring / summer 2000 collection one Size fits all Shoulders : 73cm Chest : 86cm Length : 95cm Perfect condition
Martin Margiela white and black striped inverted overlocked vest, ss 1991
By Maison Martin Margiela
Located in London, GB
Presenting an extraordinary archival Martin Margiela inverted vest top from the Spring-Summer 1991 collection, a key piece that marks the inception of Martin's illustrious career and...
Margiela artisanal black leather glove top, ss 2001
By Maison Martin Margiela
Located in London, GB
Martin Margiela, iconic artisanal glove top made from an assortment of vintage leather gloves. Halter neck, open back with snap button closures....
Margiela Artisanal black glove top and pleated skirt runway ensemble, ss 2001
By Maison Martin Margiela
Located in London, GB
Martin Margiela; Runway ensemble (LOOK #10) Artisanal shirt-front made out of black leather gloves and oversized black artisanal skirt made out of vintage pleated skirts...
Martin Margiela black silk chiffon evening wrap dress with metal s-hook, ss 1999
By Maison Martin Margiela
Located in London, GB
Introducing an archival Martin Margiela evening wrap dress, a masterpiece from the Spring-Summer 1999 collection that embodies the brand's timeless elegance and innovative design. Th...
Martin Margiela Artisanal Evening Dress Made Out Of Vintage Petticoats, ss 2003
By Maison Martin Margiela
Located in London, GB
▪ Archival Margiela Evening Dress ▪ Creative Director: Martin Margiela ▪ Spring-Summer 2003 ▪ Museum Grade ▪ Constructed from repurposed vintage petticoats ▪ The outer skirt showca...
Martin Margiela Black Leather Tunic & Pants Set, FW 1996
By Maison Martin Margiela
Located in London, GB
Martin Margiela, Fall-Winter 1996. Black leather two-piece ensemble comprising a sleeveless V-neck tunic and matching trousers. The tunic is constructed with exposed inverted shoulde...
In a recently released film, the elusive Belgian designer reflects on his time in the fashion world and his avant-garde creations, which have become coveted collector items.
The designer's modern take on a centuries-old wardrobe staple is still in demand today.
