'Martin Margiela: In His Own Words': Who is the enigmatic designer whose futuristic designs changed fashion?
The fashion world has fostered many known names, some of whom have revolutionized the industry from inside-out and Martin Margiela is one among them. The Belgian fashion designer emerged as one of the most innovative designers the fashion industry has ever been graced with, for his designs and creative genius was way ahead of his time. However, in his 20 plus years in the industry, the Maison Margiela creative director never once made a public appearance. His physical identity is shrouded so much in mystery that he has effectively earned the nickname 'Banksy of fashion', after the elusive British street artist. After commemorating the 20th anniversary of his eponymous fashion label, Margiela left the fashion industry for good.
Now, a decade later, he makes his imminent, masked on-screen return in Reiner Holzemer's new documentary 'Martin Margiela: In His Own Words', and although he doesn't appear in it, he does narrate parts of the film. It features Margiela in all his glory, where he, divulges some of his artistic secrets, discusses his career spanning two decades and 41 collections, as well as his legacy revealing his designs in private notes and drawings. The film comes at a time considered as the golden age for fashion documentaries. Several designers have become the subject of critically acclaimed unscripted films in recent years, from Balmain's Olivier Rousteing to Ralph Lauren.
Margiela was born on April 9, 1957, in the Belgian city of Genk and studied at the prestigious Royal Academy of Fine Arts, an institution that boasts alumni as Dries Van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester and Raf Simons, among others. He was first intrigued by fashion when he was a kid and saw a TV show featuring designers Andre Courreges and Paco Rabanne who were massively influential in 1960s fashion. He also loved shopping in flea markets as a teenager and was good at putting second-hand clothes together to create a cheap but trendy look. This would also reflect in his work when he became a full-fledged designer. After graduating in 1979, he moved to Paris and worked as a freelance designer for five years. He then worked under Jean-Paul Gaultier between 1985 and 1987. He established Maison Margiela along with business partner Jenny Meirens in 1989 and unveiled his first collection under his label. He also served as the creative director of Hermès women's line between 1997 and 2003.
In his time, Margiela emerged among the top innovative and revolutionary designers to leave the fashion world stunned with his conceptualized and avant-garde creations. He was known for redesigning by hand, objects like old wigs, canvases, and silk scarves into couture garments. The 1980s was an era in fashion, Japanese avant-gardists like Rei Kawakubo rose to the forefront of global fashion, influenced the scene with their eccentric and trailblazing designs. Margiela, who was heavily inspired by the artistic movement also carried on this work, revolting against the typical stylized designs of luxury brands by creating garments of oversized proportions, with long arms and linings, seams and hems on the outside. Kawakubo's work on deconstruction was embraced by Margiela in his work, suffice to make it a bold fashion statement.
He was and still is revered by fellow fashion designers in the industry, including Alexander McQueen who called his designs "Modern Classics". The exposed linings and stitching in his clothes were allegorized pieces of art and his signatures included cloven-hooved footwear and tops resembling a dressmaker's mannequin. A crucial aspect to Margiela and his creativity is that he spearheaded sustainability in fashion before it even became a mainstream concept. He made clothing out of repurposed plastic bags, broken players, gloves. He stood out also as a great inspiration to his fashion peers, with his oversized clothing, construction of dressmaking and twin obsession seeping into the designs of modernists like Balenciaga and Thom Browne. These designers pay extreme attention to detail, seamlessly blended with a knowing sense of humor.
For decades and through the course of his career, Margiela has famously maintained a very low profile. He has never posed for any magazine, neither has he appeared at the end of the runway after any of his shows. All his interviews have always been given in the third person and no one, other than his private circle, knows of his physical features. The only known that has ever been captured of him was in 1997 by Marcio Madeira of Zepplin photos, but even that has never been officially verified. In addition to that, all his media contact and correspondence takes place via fax. In an era of celebrated designers, he stands out for his anonymity which also shows in his uber-discreet branding. His clothes brandish a white "ghost tag" which is nothing but four small, white pick stitches, which was only replaced with a classic logotype in 2008.
In 2002, Maison Margiela was acquired by the OTB group and industry insiders believed that Margiela was considering leaving due to creative differences or simply because he had "A desire to enjoy his life outside the insistent glare of the fashion world." In October 2009, Renzo Rosso, a major stakeholder in Maison and the President of the OTB group reportedly said that "Martin has not been there for a long time. He is here but not here. We have a new fresh design team on board. We are focusing on young, realistic energy for the future; this is really Margiela for the year 2015." A press release announced two months later 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 the reasons for Margiela's exit." John Galliano replaced Margiela as the creative director of Maison Margiela in October 2014,
Martin Margiela once said that he didn't like the idea of being a celebrity, although the world had perceived him as one. Ultimately his obscurity played in well to his advantage and added an element of suspense to his label. 'Martin Margiela: In His Own Words’ will be available on-demand on August 14.