Martin Margiela stockman corset runway ensemble, fw 1997
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: IT 38 - FR 34 - UK 6 - US 2 (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU140210599022
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.
- Dolce & Gabbana cheetah print pants and turtle neck vest set, ss 1996By Dolce & GabbanaLocated in London, GBDolce & Gabbana cheetah print pants and turtle neck vest set. Spring-Summer 1996Category
1990s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Gianni Versace Snakeskin leather biker jacket and mini skirt set, fw 1994By Gianni VersaceLocated in London, GBGianni Versace; cream snakeskin leather biker jacket and mini skirt. Cropped biker jacket with silk Medusa lining and metal buckle and zip fastenings. High waisted A-Line mini skirt ...Category
1990s Italian Skirt Suits
- John Galliano cream silk pant suit with Mongolian lamb and lace, fw 2001By John GallianoLocated in London, GB▪ John Galliano cream silk pantsuit ▪ Single-breast jacket with large collar and cuffs of ruffled antique lace ribbons and Mongolian lamb ▪ Wide-leg pa...Category
Early 2000s French Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Roberto Cavalli multicoloured face printed metallic cotton pant suit, ss 2001By Roberto CavalliLocated in London, GBRoberto Cavalli multicoloured face printed metallic cotton pant suit comprising: blazer jacket and matching low-rise pants. Spring-Summer 2001Category
Early 2000s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Christian Dior by John Galliano embellished suede waistcoat and skirt, ss 2005By John Galliano for Christian Dior, Christian DiorLocated in London, GB▪ Christian Dior waistcoat and skirt set ▪ Designed by John Galliano ▪ Sold by One of a Kind Archive ▪ Constructed from cream suede ▪ Pink fl...Category
Early 2000s French Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- John Galliano cream cotton skirt and sweater set, fw 1985By John GallianoLocated in London, GBJohn Galliano skirt suit comprising: white knitted cotton sweater with two sleeves used as button-up fastenings, cream ribbed cotton maxi skirt with two extra long sleeves. 'The Lu...Category
1980s British Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Off-white wool skirt-suit KniomyLocated in Saint-Ouen-Sur-Seine, FROff-white wool skirt-suit . The jacket is mix wool and "bouclette" wool with "chauve-souris" sleeves . The bottom of the sleeves and the hips band are...Category
1980s French Skirt Suits
- Bill Blass 1980’s Vintage Green Tweed Skirt Suit - Size 8By Bill BlassLocated in West Palm Beach, FLThis vintage 1980’s Bill Blass skirt suit features a textured pattern of green, aqua, white, and brown. The jacket has 3 silver woven-looking buttons with a gold rim. This skirt suit...Category
1980s American Skirt Suits
- Dior Spring 2002 RTW Stamp Print SetBy John Galliano for Christian Dior, Christian DiorLocated in Prague, CZVery rare and unique set from Dior Spring 2002 RTW collection, consisting of a blouse as seen on the runway as well as harem pants (as well seen on th...Category
Early 2000s Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Valentino Long Couture Silk Cady Jumpsuit IT42 US6By ValentinoLocated in Brossard, QCValentino's V emblem stands out in high-contrast red against the white silk fabrication of this jumpsuit. Round neckline Long sleeves Concealed back hook and zip closure Concealed bu...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Jumpsuits
- Thierry Mugler Pale Mauve Tone Silk Couture Set 38FRBy Thierry MuglerLocated in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FRThierry Mugler -(Made in France) Pale mauve tone silk set composed of a jacket and a skirt. Indicated size 38FR. Additional information: Condition: Very good condition Dimensions: J...Category
Early 2000s French Skirt Suits
- Jean Paul Gaultier S/S 2008 Halter Cutout Back Belted Romper JumpsuitBy Jean Paul GaultierLocated in Naples, FLJean Paul Gaultier S/S 2008 Halter Cutout Back Belted Romper Jumpsuit IT 38Category
Early 2000s Jumpsuits
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.