MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA Size 4 Raspberry Viscose Blend Fitted Cocktail Dress
About the Item
- Designer:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: 4 (US)
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:San Francisco, CA
- Reference Number:
Maison Martin Margiela
Belgian designer Martin Margiela (b. 1957) — whose life, career, clothing designs and vintage shoes have become cult-collector obsessions — pushed those who attended his shows outside their comfort zones. In the years following his maison's 1988 debut, 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. He decided to launch his own line while working for renowned Paris designer Jean Paul Gaultier.
Margiela, Gaultier has often stated, was his best assistant. Even then, the 2019 film Martin Margiela: In His Own Words suggests, he was acutely aware of the widening gulf between the art and the business of fashion.
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.”
Find vintage Maison Martin Margiela boots, evening dresses, jackets and more on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: San Francisco, CA
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- SELF-PORTRAIT Size 4 Black Polyester Blend Eyelet A-Line DressBy Self-PortraitLocated in San Francisco, CASELF-PORTRAIT dress comes in a black polyester fabric featuring an a-line style, see through panel, long sleeves, and an invisible zip up closure at center back. Excellent Pre-Owned ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Day Dresses
- EMANUEL UNGARO Size 10 Blue Black Cotton Polyester Floral Cocktail DressBy Emanuel UngaroLocated in San Francisco, CAEMANUEL UNGARO dress comes in a blue & black eyelet floral cotton / polyester featuring a shift style, 3/4 sleeves, and a back zipper closure. Excellent Pre-Owned Condition. Marked...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Cocktail Dresses
- MONIQUE LHUILLIER Size 4 Black Gold Silk Rayon Sequined Cocktail DressBy Monique LhuillierLocated in San Francisco, CAMONIQUE LHUILLIER dress comes in a black rayon featuring a ruched bodice, gold sequined trim, padded shoulders, and a side zipper closure. Made in USA. Very Good Pre-Owned Condition....Category
21st Century and Contemporary Cocktail Dresses
- MOSCHINO Size 8 Black Rayon Empire Waist Cocktail DressBy MoschinoLocated in San Francisco, CAMOSCHINO cocktail dress comes in a black rayon / acetate featuring a empire waist style, braided detail, and a side zipper closure. Made in Italy.Excellent Pre-Owned Condition. Mar...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Cocktail Dresses
- TOMAS MAIER Size 2 Black & Red Viscose / Polyester Stripe Mid-Calf A-line DressBy Tomas MaierLocated in San Francisco, CATOMAS MAIER dress comes in a black & red stripe viscose / polyester featuring buttoned straps and a-line style. Made in Italy.Very Good Pre-Owned Con...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Day Dresses
- PETER PILOTTO Size 6 Multi-Color Sequined Beaded Silk Shift DressBy Peter PilottoLocated in San Francisco, CAPETER PILOTTO dress comes in a black silk with sequined details featuring beaded designs made by hand, shift style, sleeveless, and a back zip up closure. Very Good Pre-Owned Conditi...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Day Dresses
- Lela Rose Ivory Cotton Blend Sleeveless Patchwork Dress - 8By Lela RoseLocated in West Palm Beach, FLLela Rose Ivory Cotton Blend Sleeveless Patchwork Dress - 8. This fitted dress is in excellent condition and has a unique look. The patchwork is comprised of squares and the piece ha...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Day Dresses
- Oscar de la Renta Red, Black, & Ivory Cotton Sleeveless Tribal Print Dress - 8By Oscar De La RentaLocated in West Palm Beach, FLOscar de la Renta Red, Black, & Ivory Cotton Sleeveless Tribal Print Dress - 8. This adorable Oscar dress is in excellent condition. It features a lovely red, black, and ivory cott...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Day Dresses
- Emilio Pucci Aqua Silk Chiffon Long Sleeve Dress with Sheer Cutouts - 10By Emilio PucciLocated in West Palm Beach, FLEmilio Pucci Aqua Silk Chiffon Long Sleeve Dress with Sheer Cutouts - 10. This dress is in very good condition with some pulling throughout, consistent with such a fragile piece. The...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Day Dresses
- Salvatore Ferragamo Peach Cotton Knit Short Sleeve Shift Dress - MediumBy Salvatore FerragamoLocated in West Palm Beach, FLSalvatore Ferragamo Peach Cotton Knit Short Sleeve Shift Dress - Medium. This lovely dress is in excellent condition. It features a feminine peach cotton knit material, two pockets...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Shift Dresses
- Missoni Vintage Earthtones Chevron Knitted Tunic-Style Dress - S - Circa 70'sBy MissoniLocated in West Palm Beach, FLMissoni Vintage Earthtones Chevron Knitted Tunic-Style Dress - S - Circa 70's. This adorable dress is in excellent vintage condition with only very slight pulls near the bottom. It ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Day Dresses
- Tomasz Starzewski Ivory Soutache Lace Strapless Dress w/ Jacket-12-90'sBy Tomasz StarzewskiLocated in West Palm Beach, FLTomasz Starzewski Ivory Soutache Lace Strapless Dress w/ Jacket-12-90's This perfect vintage summer piece is made of a beautiful soutache lace, the dres...Category
1990s English Day Dresses