Martin Margiela black goatskin reversible 'flat collection' coat, fw 1998
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: IT 42 - FR 38 - UK 10 (EU)
- Place of Origin:Italy
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU140214212662
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: London, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Vivienne Westwood brown shearling coat dress, fw 1992By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GBVivienne Westwood brown shearling coat dress. High neck, signature Westwood Orb buttons, fitted waist and flared skirt. Fall-Winter 1992Category
1990s Italian Coats and Outerwear
- Azzedine Alaia black varnished pony hair trench coat, fw 2014By Azzedine AlaïaLocated in London, GBPresenting an exceptional Azzedine Alaia trench coat, a true collector's gem from the autumn-winter 2014 collection. This trench coat showcases the l...Category
2010s French Coats and Outerwear
- Vivienne Westwood brown wool and velvet swing coat, fw 1990By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GBVivienne Westwood brown wool swing coat with velvet. Oversized inverted lapels, large perspex Orb button and voluminous back panel. Portrait, Fall-Winter 1990Category
1990s British Coats and Outerwear
- Martin Margiela dark grey wool coat with an elongated hood-collar, fw 2005By Maison Martin MargielaLocated in London, GBMartin Margiela dark grey wool coat with an elongated hood-collar Fall-Winter 2005Category
Early 2000s Italian Coats and Outerwear
- Martin Margiela black wool coat with exaggerated collar, fw 1996By Maison Martin MargielaLocated in London, GBIntroducing an iconic Maison Martin Margiela black wool oversized coat from the Autumn-Winter 1996 collection. This coat exemplifies the designer's avant-garde approach to fashion an...Category
1990s Italian Coats and Outerwear
- Yohji Yamamoto black wool gabardine coat with exaggerated pockets, fw 2004By Yohji YamamotoLocated in London, GBYohji Yamamoto; black wool gabardine maxi coat with exaggerated external flap pockets and belt buckle fastenings on waist and neck. Fall-Winter 2004 - The same coat is in the...Category
Early 2000s Japanese Coats and Outerwear
- 1920S Black Silk Satin Coat Trimmed In Shaggy FurLocated in New York, NY1920S Black Silk Satin Coat Trimmed In Shaggy FurCategory
1920s Car Coats
- Dark Brown Ranch Mink Stole with Fringe and PocketsLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis mink stole is in a dark brown ranch color. The garment can be worn in a variety of ways and features two pockets, as well as a hook and eye fastening. In excellent condition. M...Category
20th Century American Stoles
- Hardy Amies 'New Look' or 'Wasp Waist' Black Wool Coat with Velvet Trim, SmallBy Hardy AmiesLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis coat is a rare piece representing the 'NEW LOOK' that originated in Paris by The House of Dior in 1947 shortly after WWII. The 'NEW LOOK' or 'Wasp Waist' was followed shortly ...Category
20th Century English Coats and Outerwear
- Silver Fox Jacket with Teal and Yellow Multicolor Highlights Size S M LLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis jacket is composed of silver fox with variations of yellow and teal throughout. There are center front closures. In excellent condition. **Please cross-reference measureme...Category
20th Century Coats and Outerwear
- 1960S Chocolate Brown Sheer Rayon Blend Burnout Velvet Long Sleeve Dress With GLocated in New York, NY1960S Chocolate Brown Sheer Rayon Blend Burnout Velvet Long Sleeve Dress With Gold Rhinestone ButtonsCategory
1960s Car Coats
- 1940S Navy, Lime Green & Purple Rayon Floral Printed Dress With Taffeta HemLocated in New York, NY1940S Navy, Lime Green & Purple Rayon Floral Printed Dress With Taffeta HemCategory
1940s Car Coats
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Martin Margiela: An Intimate Look at the Designer and His Surreal Fashions
In a recently released film, the elusive Belgian designer reflects on his time in the fashion world and his avant-garde creations, which have become coveted collector items.
This Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen Ensemble Is Part Zsa Zsa Gabor, Part ‘Blade Runner’
As Burton steps away from the brand, it’s a fitting time to revisit one of her visionary designs.