MAISON N.48
MARCH 2014
PUBLICATION
Spring - Summer 2014 Collection
€5.95
M
EDITOR’S NOTE
The March issue of Maison is one of the most relevant of the year. Although the September issue has attained a higher level of fame, the March issue is the spring equivalent and it’s always an important one for those of us who work on it. As a fashion showcase, we know that it will be scanned by designers, photographers, stylists and retailers, as well as by our faithful non-industry readers, to see what is happening in the fashion world, and this year we won’t disappoint. Apart from anything else, the breadth of photography and styling emphasises the versatility and originality of the creative side of fashion. It’s an exciting moment in the fashion industry with change all around, and by the time this magazine is on the newsstand, there will no doubt be more, and confirmation of some moves that are still rumours at this moment. Finally I am very pleased that we are featuring Maison Martin Margiela this issue. It’s entertaining and packed with information - just the kind of story that makes Maison the magazine we love. M
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MAISON
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Designer: The man behind
maison martin
margiela
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MMM D E SI G N P HI LO S O P H Y
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TH E DES IG N E R - MA RTI N MA RG I E L A
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Introducing: The new Maison Martin Margiela diffusion line.
Interview:
The maison finally
opens up as FILEP
MOTWARY speaks to maison martin margiela in an
exclusive interview.
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L IN E AR T IS A N A L
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C O L LAB O R AT IO N MMM X G S H O C K
E XC LU S IV E C O N VER S AT IO N W IT H THE M A I S O N
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Introducing: MMM Spring-Summer 2014 Artisanal Collection
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01 MARTIN MARGIELA Martin Margiela first got the fashion world into thinking in 1989 with a collection that challenged what luxury could be. Applying ‘grunge’ techniques such as deconstruction, recycling and raw finishes, in an intelligent and sleek manner, his ideas provoked shock and intrigue. In spite of rejection of mass media culture, Margiela became an anonymous design hand and has hardly ever been photographed or interviewed. Nonetheless, working under the collective ‘Maison Martin Margiela’ for over 20 years, Margiela have left the label in 2009, however a ‘faceless’ team continue to produce surreal and challenging collections.
M Maison Martin Margiela Since 1988, Maison Martin
Margiela has been exacting
its own intelligent revenge on the ordinary inseams of high
fashion. Celebrating 20 years this fall, the maison is still
light-years ahead of its time.
Twenty years ago, when Martin Margiela decided to start his own womenswear label (his menswear arrived 10 years later), it was as though the Belgian designer counted the brain as part of the human figure. Ever since, the collections have seemed to push and strain and, in some cases, rip apart, resew, beat up and change the very definition of clothing. Ironically, as the line has become more and more celebrated, the man himself has slipped farther from the spotlight, eventually disappearing behind the label entirely. Martin Margiela, born 9 April 1957, is a Belgian fashion Martin Margiela is a Belgian fashion designer. He designer. He then graduated from the Royal Academy graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Fine Arts (Antwerp) in 1979, a year before the Avant(Antwerp) in 1979, a year before the Avant-garde fashion garde fashion collective the Antwerp Six. collective the Antwerp Six. After graduation, he started working as a freelance designer first for five years. Between 1985 and 1987, he started working
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THE DESIG NER - MARTIN MARG IELA for Jean Paul Gaultier, before showing his very first collection under his own label in 1989. Between 1997 to 2003 he was the creative director for Hermès women’s line. During the 1980s, the Japanese avant-gardists, with Rei Kawakubo — creator of the label Comme des Garçons—had turned the fashion scene upside-down with their eccentric and ground-breaking designs. Martin Margiela and the Antwerp Six would carry on the work, revolting against the fashion world with garments of oversized proportions, such as long arms, with linings, seams and hems on the outside. The concept of deconstruction is also important for the understanding of Margiela’s fashion statement. Martin Margiela famously redesigns by hand objects such as old wigs, canvases and silk scarves into couture garments. Throughout his career, Margiela has maintained low personal profile. He has never had his picture taken before and remains backstage after his shows. All media contact is dealt with via fax. Maison Martin Margiela’s ultra-discreet trademark consists of a piece of cloth with the numbers 0-23. The badge is then attached to the inside using only four small white, pick stitches, exposed to the outside on the unlined garments. For the 20th anniversary the anonymous tag was then replaced by a classic logotype used currently.
as well as breaking the news that he allegedly offered to hand the reins of his company over to Raf Simons, who appears to have declined the offer. Haider Ackermann is later offered the position as creative director, but similarly turned it down. In October, 2009, Margiela majority stakeholder Renzo Rosso publicly stated that,
“Martin has not been here for some time. He is here but not here. We have a new fresh design team on board. We are now focusing on young and realistic energy for the future; this is really Margiela for the year 2015.” A press release announced in December 2009, that Margiela “has left the business. No replacement creative director will be appointed. Maison Martin Margiela will continue trading but the company declined to comment on reasons for Margiela’s exit.”
Margiela’s brand was acquired by the Diesel brand in 2002 and industry insiders were quoted as suggesting that Margiela may desire to leave due to creative differences, or simply, “A desire to enjoy his life outside the insistent glare of the fashion world.” In an article in New York Times dated October 1, 2008, gave many in the fashion world their first glimpse of Margiela’s face,
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Anonymity, is “A reaction against
the ubiquitous star system, the desire to let the ideas do the talking. The
product is at the centre of everything.”
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Clothing as a Blank Canvas For a designer with considerable influence, sometimes credited with shifting the entire fashion world against 80’s excesses into 90’s grunge, it is ironic that headlines and articles documenting Martin Margiela’s enduring legacy almost always include the word “invisible.” It is a testament to how truly against the grain it is for a designer to refuse the spotlight, and served as the fundamental basis for MMM’s presentations, shows, collections, and marketing. “Wetotry to have people accept thethat factthe that the of work the Maison “We try have people accept the fact work the of Maison Martin Margiela can exist independently of what the designer Martin Margiela can exist independently of what the designer lookslooks like-that our work is solely a proposition of wearing islike we like like-that our work is solely a proposition of wearing whatwhat it is it we to to create. Martin Margiela not to appear in the public create. Martin Margiela decideddecided not to appear in the public eye foreye thatfor thatHe reason. theto light nothim to be but on what really reason. wants He thewants light not be on buton onhim what really mattersmatters-the clothes, thethe philosophy, theteam…” Maison, the team…” the clothes, the philosophy, Maison, the White is anonymous for MMM because conceptually, it can be seen also as undefined. The Maison says white is neutral, the binary opposite of black, or a blank canvas. White is evidence of option, an option of expression, be that ours or that of those who choose to wear the clothes we propose. The Maison also uses white to connect back to the concept of democratic design. As noted above, all MMM design team and sales assistants wear white coats, thus white serves as a symbol of belonging to the house of Margiela. White is never really just a blank canvas. When worn normally in public, white clothing’s is bright, loud. Neutrality can be just as declarative as The Maison’s choice to remain anonymous to the press. And, as the Maison itself notes, it serves as a way to connect people to the brand.
MMM DESIG N P HILO SO P HY
D E S I G N
PHILO SOPHY “What our designer looks like has, for us, little or nothing to do with this process.
We prefer that people react to a garment
through their taste and own personal style and not their impression of the individual and group of people who created it as
translated and hyped by the press. Unlike actors or singers we do not need any physical form to express our work.�
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M MMâ‘Ľ
maison martin margiela
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MM⑥ Martin Margiela was a fashion genius who have also helped us realize that a little white paint can transform trash into high fashion and ordinary accessories like a glove or belt can be the building block of a brilliant jacket. Forever the loner, Margiela’s work for his eponymous brand stands on its own. But it is a testament to how much of an impact he’s had on the way we view the things that we wear that he is often confused as a member of the legendary “Antwerp Six,” along with Royal Fashion Academy graduates, like Dries van Noten and Ann Demeulemeester.
MM6MM6 is the is new the new Maison MMM Martin women’s Margiela diffusion line. diffusion line. Launching diffusion line and a Launching a diffusionaline and announcing announcing a fast-fashion collaboration fast-fashion collaboration, as MaisonasMartin Maison Martinhas Margiela hasoften donemean can often Margiela done can a brand is mean a brandthe is jumping jumping shark. the shark.
The arrival of MM6 made their fans especially worried when it first surfaced because it has a logo — something which Martin had famously opposed to, which is why he then developed the signature “tick” marks which appear on the back of all Margiela garments. Many attended MM6’s first NYFW presentation, filled with much skepticism, but was pleasantly surprised that not only does the secondary line not suck, it’s actually pretty good. The MM6 collection presented for Spring/Summer 2013 is the kind of stuff you actually see girls wear in the real world, but it was produced with a high level of style, quality, and an eye for detail.
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find out the mystery
within the maison as
filep motwary speaks to
maison martin margiela.
IN T E R V I E W
MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA
After twenty years of the Maison’s first collection, it remained a pure inspiration, both in fashion, art and, also in literature. MMM is then continually overexposed, as the collections routinely reveal all the designer’s techniques and interests in their very unique construction. Bearing visible stitches, exposed hems, tailor’s markings, and external shoulder pads, the collections never fail to intrigue, shock or delight. 20 years of Martin Margiela. What was the goal of the Maison, when it first started out and how it has changed in comparison with today? M : We view our work as a proposition to wear what we feel at any given moment.
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How important is it for Margiela to feel connected with its customers considering the fact that the Maison itself is a mystery? M : Very crucial! We hope that they are convinced that they can be completely ‘at one’ with a garment and be happy wearing it and that a garment can reply to the needs and emotions of the person wearing it is a beautiful thing. We are lucky enough to have a very wide group of men and women who wear our garments.
To what extent is MMM connected to ART? M : We prefer not to interpret our work, preferring to leave that up to others better
placed to place our work in an overall context. We all have work that we love, though, possibly regrettably, as a team we have no real connection to the Art world. Fashion is a craft, a technical know-how and not an art. MMM is a result of teamwork. How do new members enter the team and to what extent is the difficulty for a member to leave the House? M : We suppose that just as easy and or difficult as in any other team. More generally, there are over 70 people at the Paris HQ. We often compare our way of working to the building of a wall: everyone brings a stone and eventually the wall is built. And then everyone needs to bring
C O NVERSATIO N WITH THE MAISO N
E X C L U S I V E IN C O NVER S AT IO N WI TH FILEP MO TWAR Y
the stone, otherwise the wall collapses. Everyone has a role within the team, but everyone also has a voice within that very team… This is one of the reasons why Martin never appeared publicly, as we all know that if he would have, the light would have been on him, and without him in the light, the message would be different: the work is the collaboration of a team and not just about one single individual. What serves to inspire you the most? M : Our main inspiration has always has been the extremities and changes of daily life. Our work is solely a proposition to only wear what it is we like to create, a presentation of a way in which we see things at a given moment. As a team we
all share so many interests and sources of inspiration, these are all very varied and would take far too long to list here. It is often hard to quantify or describe inspiration. It is often more by osmosis than an active decision. Each member of our team seeks to explore their own stimulation, be that visual or another. MMM suffers from a lack of self exposure. Does it happen out of modesty and if not, why is the House hidden in shade from the Glossies? M : Even though people tend to think we do not communicate, we feel we are. But we do not use any physical image of a designer to promote our work. If people are touched and like to wear what we
propose they are free to buy and wear it. What our designer looks like has, for us, little or nothing to do with this process. We prefer that people react to a garment through their taste and own personal style and not their impression of the individual and group of people who created it as translated and hyped by the press. Unlike actors or singers we do not need any physical form to express our work. How will MMM be on its 30th anniversary? M : Let’s speak again in 2018.
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GAMAISON MARTIN MARGI ELA
300
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A leading fashion leader since its founding in 1988, through deconstruction, reinterpretation and transformation, Maison Martin Margiela has engineered a unique identity and is recognised in the fashion industry as iconoclastic and avant-garde, redefining fashion standards along the way. Over the past two decades, the Maison has branched out into various lines, including eyewear, perfume and interior design, though this novel collaboration with G-SHOCK marks Maison Martin Margiela’s first venture into watch-making.
a luxurious cuff to on the entire design. The transparent liquid crystal skeleton face and dials enable the wearer to view the watch’s intricate inner mechanisms. Complete with a strong outer casing, this watch and bracelet are in a singular metallic silver colour. Maison Martin Margiela’s “0 to 23” logo is engraved across the back of the watch and along the leather bracelet and metal buckle.
In emphasising a strength and toughness in its models, G-SHOCK has equally impacted on traditional watch-making norms. The unexpected union of these two ground-breaking brands resulted in the creation of the GA-300, an original model design, heavily characterised by both designers’ aesthetic. The removable mirrored silver leather wristband is peculiar to the GA-300, adding
For G-SHOCK’s 30th anniversary, only 3,000 exclusive models will be available from a limited 300 points of sale worldwide, each tagged with an exclusive serial number.
C O LLABO RATIO N MMM X G SHO C K
C O L
L A B G -S H OCK 30TH ANNIVERSARY Born in 1983, G-SHOCK has spent the last 30 years
pursuing innovative and enduring watchmaking. To celebrate G-SHOCK 30th anniversary, To celebrate our 30th anniversary, a special
a special metallicMartin G-SHOCK by Maison G-SHOCK by Maison Margiela model Martin Margiela model has been created. has been created.
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ARTISANAL SS2014 At a time when individuality counts for so much in the fashion landscape, Maison
Martin Margiela’s precepts seem more relevant than ever. During this morning in Paris the house presented its Artisanal collection, the Margiela take on couture. Garments are constructed from Garments are constructed from found the found objects of the most luxe objects of the most luxe order, to create order, to create some truly one-off a truly one-off piece imbued with all piece imbued with all the wit and the wit and irreverence you’d expect irreverence you’d expect. of this label. For spring 2014, that theme of collectorship was explored literally, with pieces 11
made from reclaimed interiors fabrics and upholstery. Printed textiles by the artist Frank Lloyd Wright became a column dress wrapped around a corset, a 1920 Bauhaus tapestry hanging on an opera coat. It was like wearable art, something designers have been exploring of late, at it’s most conceptual, and it is most effective. The white-coated design team at Margiela propose more than the usual artistic inspiration; they suggest the art itself can become clothing. But for all their feel of collectible objects, these clothes are far from rarefied or abstruse. Kanye wore one of last season’s enamel masks
on tour, while Gaga chose a vest for her ‘Applause’ video. And there were plenty of fashionable tics here to ensure desirability beyond the high-minded: holographic and high-shine finishes, intricately beaded tattoo vests, flashes of gold mimicked in a version of the label’s famous split-toe Tabi boots. And then also the evident labour behind each piece – for its Artisanal line, Margiela supplies all the man hours behind each piece: 23 for a T-shirt decorated with old Fortuny fabric; 49 for the Lloyd Wright dress and so on.
M Editor ITO AKIKO
Senior Writer STELLA MCCARTNEY
Writer REI KAWAKUBO
Concept STEFANO GABBANA
Art Direction TORY BURCH ALLEGRA VERSACE
Photography ROBERTO CAVALLI STEVE MADDEN VERA WANG
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