Martin Margiela Artisanal Evening Dress Made Out Of Vintage Petticoats, ss 2003
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: Small (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Upon inspection, the only identified flaws are located on the top, presenting as a few small snags and pinholes in the fabric.
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU140221539362
Maison Martin Margiela
Belgian designer Martin Margiela (b. 1957) — whose life, career, and designs for handbags, clothing and shoes have become cult-collector obsessions — pushed those who attended his shows outside their comfort zones. In the years following the 1988 debut of Maison Martin Margiela, 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.
Margiela decided to launch his own line while working for renowned Paris designer Jean Paul Gaultier. With Belgian designer Jenny Meirens, Margiela established Maison Martin Margiela in the French capital in 1988.
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.”
John Galliano was named creative director at the house in 2014 and it rebranded as Maison Margiela in 2015.
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.
- Balmain by Christophe Decarnin destroyed jersey and metal mini dress, ss 2010By BalmainLocated in London, GB▪ Balmain destroyed khaki green jersey mini dress ▪ Designed by Christophe Decarnin ▪ Rippings and holes allover the fabric ▪ Destroyed metal chain...Category
2010s French Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Gucci by Tom Ford bottle green pintuck leather shift dress, fw 1999By Gucci, Tom Ford for GucciLocated in London, GB▪ Gucci bottle green leather shift dress ▪ Designed by Tom Ford ▪ Pintuck detail ▪ Three-quarter circular flounce sleeves ▪ Black leather rosette on sle...Category
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Jean Paul Gaultier sheepskin and fox fur coat dress, fw 2006By Jean Paul GaultierLocated in London, GB▪ Jean Paul Gaultier sheepskin and fox fur coat dress ▪ Sheepskin bodice with shearling trim ▪ Full a-line skirt made up of vertically cut strips of fox fur ▪ Front zip fastening ▪ ...Category
Early 2000s French Coats and Outerwear
- Gianfranco Ferre brown viscose knit one-sleeve dress, c. 1990sBy Gianfranco FerréLocated in London, GB▪ Gianfranco Ferre brown knit dress ▪ 100% Viscose ▪ One Shoulder Strap ▪ One Sleeve ▪ Appliquéd frayed thread ▪ IT 44 - FR 40 - UK 12 - US 8 ▪ c. ...Category
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Gianni Versace cream leather and black lace evening dress, ss 2002By Gianni VersaceLocated in London, GB▪ Gianni Versace cream leather and black lace evening dress ▪ Deep plunge neckline ▪ High neck ▪ Long Sleeves ▪ Nude mesh ▪ Tight fit ▪ C...Category
Early 2000s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- BodyMap black viscose cotton jersey maxi dress, c. 1980sLocated in London, GB▪ BodyMap black jersey maxi dress ▪ 52% Viscose, 48% Cotton ▪ Three front button fastenings belted at the hips ▪ High neck with elastic collar ▪ Size Medium ▪ c. 1980sCategory
1980s British Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Vicky Tiel Black & White Lace Strapless Dress w/ Beading - 44By Vicky TielLocated in West Palm Beach, FLVicky Tiel Black & White Lace Strapless Dress w/ Beading - 44. This beautiful dress is in excellent condition. It features a gorgeous black lace over a white nylon blend, a built-i...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Evening Dresses
- Carolyne Roehm 1980's Black Velvet Dress with Olive Ruffle Bottom - 4By Carolyne RoehmLocated in West Palm Beach, FLCarolyne Roehm 1980's Black Velvet Dress with Olive Ruffle Bottom - 4. This dress is in excellent vintage condition. It is short sleeved and has side ruching with rhinestone buttons ...Category
1980s American Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Rose Taft Vintage Purple & Teal Silk Blend Strapless Gown w/ Floral Design - 10By ROSE TAFTLocated in West Palm Beach, FLRose Taft Vintage Purple & Teal Silk Blend Strapless Gown w/ Floral Design - 10. This lovely vintage gown is in excellent condition. It features a purple and teal silk blend materi...Category
Late 20th Century American Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Linda Cunningham Taupe Silk Gown w/ Multi Floral Lace & 3 Tier Ruffle Bust - 10Located in West Palm Beach, FLLinda Cunningham Taupe Silk Gown w/ Multi Floral Lace & 3 Tier Ruffle Bust - 10. This gorgeous gown is in excellent condition. It features a taupe silk material, three tier ruffle ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Evening Gowns
- Oscar de la Renta Black and Red Silk Chiffon Dress with Lace - 10 - NWTBy Oscar De La RentaLocated in West Palm Beach, FLThis Oscar de la Renta dress is black with a red underlay. It is made of silk chiffon and lace and has a black ribbon around the waist. This dress is in excellent condition and still...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Givenchy Multi Color Silk Organza Floral Halter Dress with Ruffle, Circa 1970sBy GivenchyLocated in West Palm Beach, FLGivenchy Multi Color Silk Organza Floral Halter w/ Ruffle -38 - Circa 70's This magnificent vintage silk organza multi floral print has a point d esprit detail to it as well. It has ...Category
1970s French Summer 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.