Martin Margiela Black Silk Long Gown, 1990s
View Similar Items
Martin Margiela Black Silk Long Gown, 1990s
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: M (US)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Austin, TX
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1618011572
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.
- 1980s Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche Taffeta Evening Skirt and Sheer Bow BlouseBy Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, Yves Saint LaurentLocated in Austin, TX1980s Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche Taffeta Evening skirt and sheer bow blouse. Condition: Excellent. Size Small / 36 35" bust, 25" waistCategory
1970s French Evening Dresses and Gowns
- 1990s Jean Paul Gaultier Silk Evening GownBy Jean Paul GaultierLocated in Austin, TX1990s Jean Paul Gaultier Black Silk Evening Gown. ribbon lacing up back. Condition: Excellent size S/ M 21.5" bust, 26" waist, 50" hip, 63.5" lengthCategory
1990s French Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Gianni Versace Corset Gown RibbonsBy Gianni VersaceLocated in Austin, TXGianni Versace 1990s black stretch evening gown with ribbon corset detail Size L 25" bust, 25" waist, 30" hip, 56.5" length ( un-stretched ) Condition: Excellent Fabric: 65% Polyes...Category
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Jean Paul Gaultier black one shoulder gown with attached pouchBy Jean Paul GaultierLocated in Austin, TXJean Paul Gaultier black one shoulder gown with attached pouch 100% rayon 31" bust, 26" waist, 25" hips, 66" length Condition: Excellent siz...Category
1990s Unknown Evening Dresses and Gowns
- 1990s Jean Paul Gaultier Flapper Style Sheer DressBy Jean Paul GaultierLocated in Austin, TX1990's Jean Paul Gaultier navy flapper style glitter sheer dress CONDITION: Very Good- unworn with tags but there is a tiny mend hidden in the glitter- please see photos. 100% rayon...Category
1990s Italian Cocktail Dresses
- 1998 F/W GUCCI by Tom Ford Sheer Black Wrap GownBy Gucci, Tom FordLocated in Austin, TXF/W 1998 Gucci by Tom Ford sheer black wrap gown with long sleeves Condition: Excellent 100% Silk Made in Italy Bust: 32-44", Wais...Category
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- 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
- Badgley Mischka Beaded Black Silk Lace Evening Gown Size US 10By Badgley MischkaLocated in New York, NYBadgley Mischka glamorous black silk lace evening gown, size US 10. Gown features hand beaded and embroidered lace with glass jet beading, and neckline with glass jet beads along cu...Category
Late 20th Century American Evening Gowns
- SAINT LAURENT BY HEDI SLIMANE 2014 Black Leather Mini DressBy Hedi Slimane for Yves Saint Laurent, Saint LaurentLocated in Berlin, BEThe most incredible leather mini-dress by Saint Laurent from 2014, designed by Hedi Slimane. This exceptional sleeveless mini dress is made from a soft lamb leather and features gor...Category
2010s French Mini Dress
- Yves Saint Laurent Spring 1989 GownBy Yves Saint Laurent Rive GaucheLocated in Brooklyn, NYExquisite and unparalleled, behold this mesmerizing Yves Saint Laurent gold lamé gown from the esteemed Spring Summer 1989 collection. Del...Category
1980s Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Moschino Spring 2004 dressBy MoschinoLocated in Brooklyn, NYSuper cute Moschino black lingerie Spring 2004 dress with lace and hooks on bodice, and ruffles at the bottom as seen on the runway in a pink version. The d...Category
Early 2000s Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Versace Jeans Couture Black Body Con DressBy Versace Jeans CoutureLocated in Hoffman Estates, ILDescription: Rare Versace Jeans Couture black dress with iconic Medusa. Country: Italy Period: Late 20th CenturyCategory
20th Century Mini Dress
$909 Sale Price30% Off