Margiela Rare
21st Century and Contemporary Evening Gowns
1990s French Other
20th Century French Pants
Early 2000s Italian Cummerbunds
2010s Evening Gowns
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Sunglasses
21st Century and Contemporary Day Dresses
Early 2000s Scarves
1990s Jackets
2010s Italian Cocktail Dresses
Early 2000s Jackets
1990s Shoulder Bags
1990s Evening Dresses and Gowns
1990s Italian Sweater Vests
Early 2000s Jackets
21st Century and Contemporary Shoes
20th Century French Blazers
1990s French Jackets
1990s Unknown Mini Dress
21st Century and Contemporary Shoes
2010s Shoes
1990s Italian Coats and Outerwear
Early 2000s Belgian Skirts
2010s Italian Pants
1990s French Day Dresses
1990s French Jackets
1990s Italian Coats and Outerwear
1990s Italian Day Dresses
21st Century and Contemporary European Shoes
2010s Italian Vests
1990s Shirts
21st Century and Contemporary French Coats
21st Century and Contemporary Jackets
1990s Jackets
1990s Italian Boots
1990s French Sculptures
Late 20th Century French Pants
1990s Belgian A-Line Skirts
1990s Belgian Shoes
Early 2000s Crossbody Bags and Messenger Bags
1990s French Bodices
Early 2000s French Coats and Outerwear
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Scarves
2010s Italian Capes
2010s Blouses and Tops
1990s Italian Capes
20th Century French Coats and Outerwear
1990s Italian Jackets
21st Century and Contemporary French Belts
1990s French Coats and Outerwear
Early 2000s Belgian Other
21st Century and Contemporary French Jackets
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
21st Century and Contemporary French Bustiers
1990s French Novelty Bags
21st Century and Contemporary German Sunglasses
Early 2000s Cocktail Dresses
2010s Shoes
1990s French Shift Dresses
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Pants
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Margiela Rare For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Margiela Rare?
Maison Martin Margiela for sale on 1stDibs
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.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022John Galliano is currently creative director of the French fashion house Maison Margiela, previously called Maison Martin Margiela. In the past, he has been the creative director for Givenchy and Christian Dior. Browse a range of expertly vetted Maison Margiela pieces from top sellers on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022The upscale sporty style of Maison Martin Margiela sneakers gives them versatile styling possibilities. While how you wear them is up to personal preference, they can be dressed up with a breezy sundress, paired with classic jeans and a tee, or dressed down with joggers and a tank. Shop a selection of Maison Margiela sneakers on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022The key to spotting fake Maison Martin Margiela products is quality. The Maison Margiela brand is known for designer-level craftsmanship and materials. An authentic Maison Margiela product should have neat, even stitching, a crisp logo and high level of attention to detail. Shop an array of expertly vetted Maison Margiela pieces from top boutiques on 1stDibs.
- What is Maison Martin Margiela?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Maison Martin Margiela, now simply called Maison Margiela, is a French fashion house founded in 1988. It was first founded by Belgian designer Martin Margiela and takes inspiration from avant-garde styling. On 1stDibs, find a range of authentic Maison Margiela pieces.