Maison Martin Margiela
20 Mar - 01 Jun 2009
MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA
'20' the exhibition
20 mar 09 > 01 jun 09
'everybody is influenced by comme des garçons and martin margiela. everybody, who is conscious of what it means to live in today’s world, is influenced by him' marc jacobs, women's wear daily
the fashion label ‘maison martin margiela’ (mmm) was founded in paris 20 years ago – occasion to stage an unusual exhibition. sub-divided into different sections, the presentation allows for insights into stylistic devices and designs of mmm, who redefine fashion as once coco chanel and yves saint laurent did. however, maison martin margiela does not only create fashion: their creations and fashion shows should always be read as critical and partly radical comments on the world of fashion. they rebel against the constraints of an industry, where perfection and image, narcissism and fetishisation play a central role. margiela’s answer to this, his methods, are as unusual as they are uncompromising to the fashion world: instead of building a star cult around the fashion designer, mmm only appears as a team. margiela himself never gives interviews, nor does he present himself in public: it is thereby not the designer who is in the limelight but his creations. also at fashion shows mmm focuses on the products: the models are made to be ‘invisible’ through long fake fringes, masks made of tights or large sun glasses presenting the creations ‘incognito’. the shows themselves do not take place in glamorous locations, but rather in train wagons, on the lawn of a football stadium or in a bar, where the regular clientele is also present. characteristic for martin margiela’s creations is the principle of deconstruction: mmm demasks fashion’s smooth perfection and brings secrets to light. the traces of planning and fabrication, the tailor’s tricks are revealed; shoulder pads and lining, seams and topstitches are not hidden, but compose the exterior surface of the piece of clothing. mmm arranges and elaborately handcrafts second-hand materials, the use of which is practically unthinkable in haute couture, into unique pieces: a waistcoat for women made of porcelain shards, t-shirts made of plastic bags or a top made of worn, white leather gloves. martin margiela’s creations frequently show the traces of decay and destructibility, and thereby move more often than not between garbage and fairy tale.
exhibition initiated by
momu, fashion museum, province antwerp
maison martin margiela
supported by
the government of flanders
'20' the exhibition
20 mar 09 > 01 jun 09
'everybody is influenced by comme des garçons and martin margiela. everybody, who is conscious of what it means to live in today’s world, is influenced by him' marc jacobs, women's wear daily
the fashion label ‘maison martin margiela’ (mmm) was founded in paris 20 years ago – occasion to stage an unusual exhibition. sub-divided into different sections, the presentation allows for insights into stylistic devices and designs of mmm, who redefine fashion as once coco chanel and yves saint laurent did. however, maison martin margiela does not only create fashion: their creations and fashion shows should always be read as critical and partly radical comments on the world of fashion. they rebel against the constraints of an industry, where perfection and image, narcissism and fetishisation play a central role. margiela’s answer to this, his methods, are as unusual as they are uncompromising to the fashion world: instead of building a star cult around the fashion designer, mmm only appears as a team. margiela himself never gives interviews, nor does he present himself in public: it is thereby not the designer who is in the limelight but his creations. also at fashion shows mmm focuses on the products: the models are made to be ‘invisible’ through long fake fringes, masks made of tights or large sun glasses presenting the creations ‘incognito’. the shows themselves do not take place in glamorous locations, but rather in train wagons, on the lawn of a football stadium or in a bar, where the regular clientele is also present. characteristic for martin margiela’s creations is the principle of deconstruction: mmm demasks fashion’s smooth perfection and brings secrets to light. the traces of planning and fabrication, the tailor’s tricks are revealed; shoulder pads and lining, seams and topstitches are not hidden, but compose the exterior surface of the piece of clothing. mmm arranges and elaborately handcrafts second-hand materials, the use of which is practically unthinkable in haute couture, into unique pieces: a waistcoat for women made of porcelain shards, t-shirts made of plastic bags or a top made of worn, white leather gloves. martin margiela’s creations frequently show the traces of decay and destructibility, and thereby move more often than not between garbage and fairy tale.
exhibition initiated by
momu, fashion museum, province antwerp
maison martin margiela
supported by
the government of flanders