Société Anonyme Magazine, Issue 2
This second issue is a retrospection on Maison Margiela - a brand we view as one of the most poignant, genuine, pioneer and certainly Dada.
In this issue we consider three focal aspects of Margiela's philosophy: Time, Body and Sense of Community.
Over the years these elements, almost naturally, return cyclically within the collections costituting the essence of the brand. There's so much to learn from Margiela's creative sensibility and humanity and we firstly owe him so much of our history and inspiration.
MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA: TIME, BODY + COMMUNITY
Maison Martin Margiela’s raw and redefining oeuvre has always been of great inspiration.
Its post-Dadaist essence and rebellion against conventions have changed fashion.
In 1988 MMM stepped into the world of fashion as an underground brand.
Martin Margiela launched his namesake label with business partner and fellow designer Jenny Meirens – a team on the quest of freedom, ready to question and rethink the fashion parameters.
This second issue is a retrospection on a brand we view as one of the most pignant, genuine and certainly Dada.
Tag along as we go trough Time, Body and Community within Maison Martin Margiela.
MMM’s collections form a single continuum.
Every collection is interlaced with the previus one, ideeas are being merged with time, making 'Time' an anonymous yet omnipresent participant of the Maison.
For their first solo exhibition 18 dressed dummies from previous collections had been treated with different strains of bacteria, yeast and mould.
Within the first five days these organism developed on the clothes resulting in a change of color and texture – a sped up and quite literal representation of time.
Despite the speed od today’s world, Margiela’s garments take Time, to be conceived, created and finally understood. When casting their models but also during the design process, MMM found its freedom in challenghin the idea of having a standardized body fitted for mass production.
The initial approach was street casting, where personality and charisma prevailed over the perfect body.
In spite of the carefully selected cast, in MMM the collection always prevails: bodies melt into garmenta by cause of trompe l’oeil effects, unanticipated silhouttes and are sometimes completely absent.
“We” – the maison always communicates in first personal plural.
One of the reasons for this is Martin’s choice of anonymity, and also to emphasize the importance of teamwork within the brand.
What strated out with Martin Margiela and Jenny Meirens, later developed into a body of likeminded people from all over the world.
The Margiela Duo always had an interest in their close surroundings and the people in it, with SS 90 being the perfect example for this.
The collection was presented on a children’s playground in the Parisian outskirts.
Neighbors sat next to editors, and children filled the front row eventually joining the models – the crowd was moved.
A new feeling of freedom, sensibility and spontaneity entered the world of fashion.
