Margiela Artisanal white shirt, Spring-Summer 1995
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU14023846531
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.
- Christian Dior by John Galliano white cotton jewelled t-shirt, fw 2002By Christian Dior, John Galliano for Christian DiorLocated in London, GBChristian Dior by John Galliano white cotton t-shirt with jewel embellishments. Fall-Winter 2002Category
Early 2000s French T-Shirts
- Vivienne Westwood cherub print wide cut t-shirt, ss 1991By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GB▪ Vivienne Westwood white cotton t-shirt ▪ Cherub print ▪ Short puff sleeve ▪ Wide cut ▪ One Size ▪ Spring-Summer 1991Category
1990s British Shirts
- Men's Matsuda grey striped knitted cotton shirt sweater, ss 1995By Mitsuhiro MatsudaLocated in London, GB▪ Men's Matsuda grey striped shirt sweater ▪ 100% Cotton ▪ Deconstructed design ▪ Knitted sweater at top panel ▪ Button up shirt at bottom panel ▪ Size Large ▪ Spring-Summer 1995Category
1990s Japanese Sweaters
- Jean Paul Gaultier metallic pink silk taffeta wrap top, ss 2000By Jean Paul GaultierLocated in London, GB▪ Jean Paul Gaultier wrap top ▪ Metallic fuchsia pink silk taffeta ▪ Extra long panel allowing the garment to be styled in multiple ways ▪...Category
Early 2000s Italian Shirts
- Prada by Miuccia Prada grey and green crocheted wool bra top, fw 2017By Prada, Miuccia PradaLocated in London, GB▪ Prada knitted bra top ▪ Designed by Miuccia Prada ▪ Crocheted grey, green and black pure new wool ▪ Bow detail at the centre-front ▪ Snap-button closure...Category
2010s Italian Bras
- Comme des Garcons oversized deconstructed layered shirt, ss 2011By Comme des GarçonsLocated in London, GBPresenting a rare Comme Des Garcons oversized deconstructed shirt from the spring-summer 2011 collection. This exceptional shirt is a true represen...Category
2010s Japanese Shirts
- christian dior by john galliano “miss dior” dressBy Christian Dior, John GallianoLocated in Hoffman Estates, ILVery rare Christian Dior white dress by John Galliano with Miss Dior logo in black. Country: France Period: 21st Century Specifications: Size FR 38.Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Sleeveless Shirts
- John Galliano For Christian Dior Trotter Logo T-ShirtBy John GallianoLocated in Hoffman Estates, ILVery rare John Galliano for Christian Dior trotter logo t-shirt with No.2 on the left corner. Specifications: French size 40Category
21st Century and Contemporary French T-Shirts
- KENZO JUNGLE Koi fish mesh Club Kid Shirt, late 1990sBy Kenzo Jungle, KenzoLocated in Genève, CH1990's Kenzo Jeans sheer stretch t-shirt with lovely Japanese theme print in a wonderful turquoise. Fabric is a sheer nylon stretch mesh, the kind that Gaultier made famous, and come...Category
1990s French T-Shirts
- 1974 Vivienne Westwood x Malcolm McClaren SEX tank topBy Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren, Vivienne WestwoodLocated in Berlin, BEArchive tank top, 100% Cotton Length 47 cm, Width 36cm. Made in London, England. Museum worthy archive item. • Located in the 430 King’s Road, Vivienne Westwood opened SEX shop...Category
1970s English Tank Tops
- Chanel Fall 1998 Striped Knit TankBy ChanelLocated in New York, NYSuper Rare & Coveted. Fall 1998 Chanel Black & White Striped Knit Tank Top Shoulders 13 in Bust 34 in Waist 34 in Length 24 in Marked Size IT 42 Excellent Vintage Condition. Can acc...Category
1990s Tank Tops
- Céline by Phoebe Philo Slack split panel bustier strapless top, fw 2011By Phoebe Philo, CelineLocated in Milano, IT- Runway Look 31 - Sold by Skof.Archive - Designed by Phoebe Philo - Strapless top with bustier at interior dual zipper - Fall Winter 2011 Size : FR 40 - EN 44 - UK 12 - US 8 (EU...Category
2010s French Bustiers
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.