Who?
(Threaducation, The History of Margiela) The biggest question surrounding the founder of the eminent fashion house Maison Margiela has always been who and where? Founded by Martin Margiela, a Belgian designer in 1948, Martin has never wanted his public image to overshadow his work. Committed to this, Martin has never done interviews or spoken outwardly about his work, instead choosing to remain in the shadows. Born on April 9th, 1957, not much is known about his upbringing however it is known that he became interested in fashion after watching a TV show with famous designers, Andre Correges and Paco Rabanne. Martin later studied fashion at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Following his graduation, he worked as a freelance designer for five years which he later quit to become Jean Paul Gautlier’s design assistant in 1984 to 1987.
Four Stitches
If you’ve ever seen or held a Maison Margiela piece in hand before, you have probably noticed the four stitches signature on all his clothing. On brand to his usual anonymity, Martin’s intention was for the four stitches to show how loosely sewn on they were so they could be removed therefore making the piece impossible to identify. (Gordan, The Meaning Behind the Maison Margiela Label)
Numbers (1-23)
Moreover, you have probably seen the famous numbers and circles on his clothing which indicate the type of item they are. For example number 10 indicates that they are part of the men’s collection, number 11 represents accessories, and so on and so forth. (NSS Magazine, The Meaning of Maison Margiela’s Numbers)
And Where?
The real question is where is Martin Margiela now? As expected, this question is left unanswered as after leaving the fashion world in 2009, Martin instead focused on a different medium. He explored self expression through art. Nonetheless, Martin’s whereabouts or current endeavors are unknown much like how he intentionally made his pieces to be. Unknown. Invisible. (Wikipedia, Martin Margiela)
Works Cited
Gordon, Georgia. “The Meaning Behind the Maison Margiela Label.” IRVRSBL, 2021, https://irvrsbl.com/en-us/blogs/news/the-meaning-behind-the-maison-margiela-label. Accessed 26 April 2024.
NSS Magazine. “The meaning of Maison Margiela’s numbers.” NSS Magazine, 25 September 2019, https://www.nssmag.com/en/fashion/19578/the-meaning-of-maison-martin-margiela-s-numbers. Accessed 26 April 2024.
Threaduaction, director. The History of Margiela. 2022. Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upMYVcw2rng.
Wikipedia. “Martin Margiela.” Wikipedia, 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Margiela. Accessed 19 April 2024.
