MARTIN MARGIELA

1957
Louvain
Trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, he then works for Jean Paul Gaultier in the early 80s in Paris, as an assistant.
This immersive learning in the fashion industry motivates him to create his own label.
It is in 1988 that Maison Martin Margiela is born.
He makes a strong impression with his first spring-summer 1989 show, covering the faces of the models to draw attention to the clothes.
He soaks the soles of the tabi boots, emblematic shoes of Japanese inspiration from the 15th century, with red paint, in order to reinforce their marking on the ground.
His shows parade in unexpected locations, like that of Spring-Summer 1990 which takes place in a playground in Paris.
He differentiates himself by the design of unique artisanal pieces (recovered objects or clothing) and becomes a conceptual and avant-garde creator.
Known for his white and red color palette, he studies the construction of clothings through its deconstruction and uses material experiment.
He remains a secret designer in the fashion world, avoiding interviews and publications and gradually disappearing, favoring the fact that consumers focus on clothes and that his work speaks for itself.
Margiela remains the faceless creator, with the white label untouched by any brand.
He presents his last show in 2008 and officially retires from fashion a few months later.

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Raf Simons was attending Margiela ́s Spring Summer 1990 ́s show in the Parisian playground.
He is more interested in furniture design than fashion at that time but changes his mind after seeing this show.