MARGIELA: The Hermès years
At the MoMu in Antwerp: an exhibition on the collaboration between Margiela and Hermès
From March 31st to August 27th, 2017 the Momu in Antwerp will showcase the collections that Martin Margiela, one of the most iconoclastic fashion designers, created between 1997 and 2003 for the august Parisian fashion house, Hermès.
When Margiela was called by the Parisian brand to become its creative director, he had already been renowned for almost a decade as one of the most avant-garde phenomena of the international fashion scene, yet, his propensity towards deconstruction and recovering material was still fairly unknown. He was the only representative of such and, when Jean Louis Dumas-Hermès – then CEO – approached Margiela to request he design his women’s collections, he was making a rather non-conformist decision, during an historical moment in time where the most venerable fashion houses north of the Alps, which had the desire to relaunch themselves, sought designers who were also celebrities, such as Galliano at Dior and McQueen at Givenchy.
Instead, Margiela remained behind the scenes and reached fame working by subtraction – through his image, as well as his designs. At first, everyone wondered whether he was the right choice, but then came to the realization that the breath of fresh air he had brought with him to the leather goods brand – calling it in simple terms – was the most unique on the international scene. His sober, monochrome palettes of color diverged from the usual approach taken by Hermès and, assisted by the great craftsmanship skill of the brand, Margiela was able to create something that did not at all exist until then: a comfortable yet rigorous luxury.
His own creations, and also those for Hermès, are still such an influence today that, in the 2016/2017 season, he is spoken of as the “true star” and inspiration for many designers of the moment.
HauteCoutureCollezioni n. 165