Martin Margiela Black Crystal-Laced Viscose Mini Dress, ss 2009
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: IT40 - FR36 - UK8 - US4 (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU140220747182
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: London, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Vivienne Westwood black velvet glitter figure hugging maxi dress, fw 1991By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GBVivienne Westwood black velvet glitter figure hugging maxi dress Always on Camera, Fall-Winter 1991Category
1990s British Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Azzedine Alaia black acetate knit figure hugging evening dress, A/W 1986By Azzedine AlaïaLocated in London, GB- Metal zip closure at the back - Figure hugging fit - Turtle neck Autumn-Winter 1986Category
1980s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Ralph Lauren black hand beaded evening dress, fw 2013By Ralph LaurenLocated in London, GB▪ Ralph Lauren Purple Label evening dress ▪ Sold by One of a Kind Archive ▪ Fall-Winter 2013 ▪ Constructed from black viscose jersey ▪ Thousands of hand-beaded black bugle beads ▪ P...Category
2010s American Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Christian Dior by John Galliano grey checked nylon sheath dress, ss 2000By Christian Dior, John Galliano for Christian DiorLocated in London, GB▪ Christian Dior grey checked nylon sheath dress ▪ Designed by John Galliano ▪ Sold by One of a Kind Archive ▪ Spring-Summer 2000 ▪ Stretch nylon/elastane blend with a grey Prince of...Category
Early 2000s French Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Gianni Versace metallic gold leather mini dress, fw 1994By Gianni VersaceLocated in London, GB▪ Gianni Versace metallic gold leather mini dress ▪ Sold by One of a Kind Archive ▪ Fall-Winter 1994 ▪ Croc-embossed ▪ Diagonal front zipper ▪ 2 front pockets ▪ IT 40 - FR 36 - UK...Category
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Dolce & Gabbana silk brown evening dress with crystal waistband, fw 2005By Dolce & GabbanaLocated in London, GB▪ Dolce & Gabbana silk brown evening dress ▪ Sold by One of a Kind Archive ▪ Fall-Winter 2005 ▪ Cowl neck ▪ Crystal waistband ▪ Back zip fastening...Category
Early 2000s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Vintage 1960's cream silk beaded dress original 1960's wedding dress UK 12 Us 8Located in Cheltenham, GBA vision rendered in a truly embellished fashion, this original vintage 1960's cream wool silk dress, embellished with silver glass beads, pearlescent beads, gold beads and silver cl...Category
1960s Cocktail Dresses
- Vintage 1940's Pink Silk Evening Dress Beaded Pearl Floral Dress UK 8 Us 4Located in Cheltenham, GBA beauty to behold. This original 1940's pink silk dress, embellished with trailing silk threaded soutache embroidery depicting blossoming flowers, surrounded by pearlescent beaded d...Category
1940s Unknown Evening Dresses
- Vintage 1960's yellow sequin beaded cocktail dress wiggle dress UK 12 US 8Located in Cheltenham, GBThis breathtaking 1960's yellow knitted wool dress, embellished in its entirety with clear iridescent sequins, and finished with floral beaded details in yellow rocaille beads, and i...Category
1960s Cocktail Dresses
- Chanel 13P Spring 2013 Wool Tweed Runway Sequins Faux Pearl Dress 38 NewBy ChanelLocated in Merced, CAChanel runway tweed sequins dress from Chanel spring 2013 runway dress adorned with Cc logo buttons and faux pearl.Category
Mid-20th Century French Shift Cocktail Dresses
- EMILIO PUCCI vintage silk long dress 60sBy Emilio PucciLocated in Rubiera, REEmilio Pucci Long pink long dress Vintage 60s Fantasy on pink background; adorned with crystals and beads. Fully hand finished, double lined. 100% silk The size label has been cut. L...Category
1960s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- 1980s Dimitri Kritsas long black dressLocated in Milano, IT1980s Dimitri Kritsas long black dress with wide shawl neckline and low cut back. Rounded high slit in front with fitted long sleeves. Evening dress Size: M Waist: 88 cm Length: 14...Category
1980s American Evening Dresses
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Martin Margiela: An Intimate Look at the Designer and His Surreal Fashions
In a recently released film, the elusive Belgian designer reflects on his time in the fashion world and his avant-garde creations, which have become coveted collector items.
This Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen Ensemble Is Part Zsa Zsa Gabor, Part ‘Blade Runner’
As Burton steps away from the brand, it’s a fitting time to revisit one of her visionary designs.