Meet Our Newest Designer: Maison Margiela

Maison Margiela is a French luxury fashion house based in Paris, France. Belgian fashion designer, Martin Margiela, created the brand in 1988.  

Martin Margiela graduated in 1979 from The Royal Acadamy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. He began his career as a freelance designer in Milan, Italy exhibiting his now signature deconstructed style. His pieces intentionally would show linings and seams and emphasize the garments structure. His unique style garnered the interest of Jean Paul Gaultier and Margiela became his design assistant in Paris. He held the role until 1988 when he launched his own self-titled design label, Maison Martin Margiela.

The launch of his own womenswear collection caused a lot of stir, not only for the clothes but the fact that Margiela did not take a traditional bow to the audience after showcasing the new collection. During his career he became known for avoiding pictures and taking interviews by fax. He answered the questions with his entire design team, referencing "we" to ensure it was understood that the label was not just about himself. He wanted the focus to remain on the clothing and fashion and not on the person creating it. This led Margiela to became known as "fashion's invisible man" by the media. His models would have their faces covered with long hair or fabric to ensure the focus during fashion shows remained on the clothing. The same applied to the labels on his clothing which were just plain white, and the boutiques where he sold his clothing were plain white spaces with no designer name above the front door.

In the next years, Margiela expanded his product lines to include menswear, fine jewelry, footwear, objects, fragrance and home goods. In 1997, Maison Margiela updated their typical plain white label to now include a new white label which featured numbers 0 - 23, the digit circled indicated the reference code to the product category, which was created at random, Menswear (Line 10), Fine Jewelry (Line 12), Eyewear (Line 8), etc. The name MM6 was developed from Line 6 - The Contemporary Line. MM6 takes a modern approach to feminism with their unconventional and contemporary cuts and prints. The brand can be identified by a single horizontal stitch, visible from the garments exterior which is how the label is attached.

While Mr. Margiela is no longer with the brand, the Maison continues to be known for his avant-garde and deconstructive designs and keeping the focus on the clothing he created.

We are honored to have a brand with such unique history in our store. To see the latest MM6 collection or learn more about “Fashion’s Invisible Man” come stop by!