Maison Martin Margiela 1990AW Dress
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Shibuya-Ku, JP
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2841219009242
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: shibuya-ku, Japan
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Maison Martin Margiela Knit DressKnit DressBy Maison Martin MargielaLocated in Shibuya-Ku, 13White label Made in Italy Fabric 50%Wool 50%Cotton Size/Measurements (approximate) Bust 41cm (armpit to armpit) Length 131cm (centre back to hem, excluding collar) Condition Peeli...Category
1990s European Day Dresses
- Maison Martin Margiela 1996SS Print DressBy Maison Martin MargielaLocated in Shibuya-Ku, 13Satinated dress with photographic print Made in Italy Fabric 100%Rayon Size/Measurements (approximate) Size M Bust 46.5cm (armpit to armpit) Length 101cm (centre back to hem) Condi...Category
1990s European Day Dresses
- Maison Martin Margiela One-Shoulder DressBy Maison Martin MargielaLocated in Shibuya-Ku, 13White label Made in Italy Fabric 100%Wool Size/Measurements (approximate) Size 44 Length 101cm (centre back to hem)Category
1990s European Day Dresses
- Azzedine Alaïa 1990s Off Shoulder DressBy Azzedine AlaïaLocated in Shibuya-Ku, 13Black off shoulder dress, back zip closure Made in Italy Fabric: 90% Viscosa, 6% Nylon, 4% Elsatam Size/Measurements (approximate) Size M B...Category
1990s European Day Dresses
- Maison Martin Margiela 1997 Stockman CollectionBy Maison Martin MargielaLocated in Shibuya-Ku, 13Made in Italy Fabric Vest&Gloves 100% Linen Skirt 100% Slik Size/Measurements (approximate) Vest Size 40 Gloves Size M Vest Front Chest 37cm Vest Leng...Category
1990s European Day Dresses
- Maison Martin Margiela 1999SS Doll's Collection Black JacketBy Maison Martin MargielaLocated in Shibuya-Ku, 13Made in Italy Fabric 100% Cotton Size/Measurements (approximate) Shoulder 38.5cm (shoulder to shoulder) Bust 50cm (armpit to armpit) Sleeve 58cm Length 64cm (centre back to hem, e...Category
1990s European Jackets
- Adolfo Tropical Silk Jersey Strapless Dress with Half CapeletBy AdolfoLocated in New York, NYAdolfo strapless dress with bold green, indigo and white tropical floral print. Wonderfully tailored, with fitted bodice and draped open tulip front slit above the knee for movement...Category
Late 20th Century American Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Leonard of Paris Pastel Silk Chiffon Day / Evening DressBy Leonard of ParisLocated in New York, NYPretty pastel silk chiffon Leonard of Paris special occasion day / evening dress. Bodice has a ruffled capelet that flows from the center of the dress...Category
Late 20th Century French Day Dresses
- Leonard of Paris Fuschia Multi Color Silk Chiffon Strapless GownBy Leonard of ParisLocated in New York, NYVintage Leonard of Paris bright and flirty ruffled silk chiffon cocktail dress / evening gown, unmarked size, approximately US 6. Featuring four layer...Category
Late 20th Century French Evening Dresses and Gowns
- New Chanel Baby Pink Silver Studded Embellished Dress Size 38By ChanelLocated in Fort Lauderdale, FLThe ultimate in fashion making luxury craftsmanship. The Iconic House of Chanel always provides us with timeless and classic pieces. The beautiful dress takes timeless creation to a ...Category
2010s French Cocktail Dresses
- c. 1967 Pierre Cardin Documented Dress MuseumBy Pierre CardinLocated in New York, NYc. 1967 Pierre Cardin Futuristic Dress Mini dress of navy wool jersey knit. The tubular mini dress has a rounded neckline and short sleeves. Red, sh...Category
1960s French Shift Dresses
- S/S 1990 Thierry Mugler Black and Green Sculptural DressBy Thierry MuglerLocated in New York, NYS/S 1990 Thierry Mugler Black Cotton Dress with Layered, Tiered Skirt Panels Backed with Acid Green Cotton; Fitted Bodice with Adjustable Straps; Self Belt w...Category
1990s French Cocktail Dresses