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Designer Research Maison Margiela

CONTENTS Company Designer Profile Resignation Collections Company Signature Customer Competition Technology Sustainability Branding Promotion Social Media Stockists

Company Maison Margiela, formerly Maison Martin Margiela, is a French luxury fashion house headquartered in Paris and founded in 1988 by Belgian designer Martin Margiela. Initially working out of a Paris apartment, they opened their first store in an unmarked white space in Paris, also opening a small studio on 12 Leopoldstraat in Antwerp. The house produces both haute couture-inspired artisanal collections and ready-to-wear collections, with the former influencing the designs of the latter. Product lines include womenswear, menswear, fine jewelry, footwear, objects, fragrance, and home goods, among others. Known for deconstructive and avant-garde designs with unconventional materials, Maison Margiela has traditionally held live shows in unusual settings, for example empty metro stations and street corners. Models' faces are often obscured by fabric or long hair to direct attention to the clothes and design. New York Magazine wrote that "the designer quickly defined a deconstructed look [with his new label]… Vaguely Dadaist, as if Marcel Duchamp were reincarnated as a fashion designer, Margiela questioned every tenet of fashion and luxury." Vogue would later write that his early ideas "provoked shock and intrigue" in the fashion industry. On the label's garments, simple blank white labels with four white tacks were sewn to signify the brand. Distinct product ranges were given numbers as signifiers, in no particular chronological order.

Designer profile Martin Margiela was born 9 April 1957 in the Belgian town of Genk. He is a fashion designer, and the founder of French fashion house Maison Margiela. He graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp in 1979, a year before the Avant-garde fashion collective the Antwerp Six. It is widely believed that he was a part of the group, but he was not a member of the group of students from Antwerp that went to London to showcase their collection. He is however an honorary member as he attended the same college around the same time as his peers. After graduation, Margiela based himself in Paris and worked as a freelance designer for five years. Between 1984 and 1987 he worked for Jean Paul Gaultier, before showing his first collection under his own label Maison Margiela, which he started with his business partner Jenny Meirens in 1988. Margiela redesigns by hand objects such as old wigs, canvases and silk scarves into couture garments. During the 1980s, the Japanese avant-gardists , with Rei Kawakubo, influenced the global fashion scene with their eccentric and ground-breaking designs. Margiela and the Antwerp Six would carry on the work, revolting against the luxurious fashion world with garments of oversized proportions such as long arms, and with linings, seams and hems on the outside. The concept of deconstruction embraced by Kawakubo matters also for Margiela's fashion statement. Margiela began utilizing the deconstructive style in the 1980s while a freelance designer in Milan, Italy, and early on his work would often reveal the garments’ structure, for example intentionally exposed linings and seams. Not fulfilled with the pressures of one label, Between 1997 and 2003 he was the creative director of the Hermès women's line. Martin Margiela was appointed as a Guest member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in 2010. Margiela's brand was acquired by the OTB Group in 2002 and industry insiders were quoted as suggesting that Margiela may desire to leave due to creative differences, or simply, "A desire to enjoy his life outside the insistent glare of the fashion world."

The Man

Throughout his career, Margiela has maintained a low personal profile. He has never given an interview and remains backstage after his shows. His face is not publicly known; throughout his career, only one known photo exists, taken in 1997 by Marcio Madeira but never officially verified. All media contact is dealt with via fax. Maison Martin Margiela's ultra-discreet trademark consists of a piece of cloth with the numbers 0-23. The badge is attached to the inside with four small, white pick-stitches, exposed to the outside on unlined garments. For the 20th anniversary the anonymous tag was replaced by a classic logotype

Resignation A 2008 article from the New York Times broke the news that he allegedly offered to hand the reins of his company over to Raf Simons, who appears to have declined the offer. Haider Ackermann was later offered the position as creative director, but similarly turned it down. With Maison Martin Margiela going public in 2002, Margiela resigned as creative designer.In October 2009, Margiela majority stakeholder Renzo Rosso, President of OTB Group, the holding group of Marni, Viktor & Rolf, and Diesel, publicly stated that, "Martin has not been there for a long time. He is here but not here. We have a new fresh design team on board. We are focusing on young, realistic energy for the future; this is really Margiela for the year 2015.” A press release announced in December 2009 that Margiela "has left the business. No replacement creative director will be appointed. Maison Martin Margiela will continue trading but the company declined to comment on the reasons for Margiela's exit.” In October 2014, John Galliano was appointed as creative director of Maison Martin Margiela, replacing Margiela himself.

Collection Martin Margiela first got the fashion world thinking in 1989 with a collection that challenged what luxury could be. Applying 'grunge' techniques such as deconstruction, recycling and raw finishes, in an intelligent and sleek manner, his ideas provoked shock and intrigue. In a rejection of mass media culture, Margiela became an anonymous design hand and has hardly ever been photographed or interviewed. Working under the collective 'Maison Martin Margiela' for over 20 years, Margiela left the label in 2009, however a 'faceless' team continue to produce surreal and challenging collections.

Collections

Ready to Wear Autumn/Winter 20/21

Maison Margiela

This collection follows the Margiela signature of deconstruction, but through it’s construction process. Hand tacking seams purposely left visible, instead of being hidden or stitch ripped. The collection gave a nod to tailor and the long process, in showing deconstruction. The seams were paired with raw edges, on areas that made it seem that a sleeve was torn off, or half the coat was pulled apart, and of course layered. In the collection, the palette is really colourful and diverse by putting tangerine next to brown and mustard, orange with pale mauve and electric blue, then could suddenly switch from odd pastels to an intense splash of red and deep shades of forest green. Cornflower blue, absinthe, loden green, turquoise, teal, primary yellow, and brown bordeaux, running from fragile chiffon washes to punchy solids. This has a painterly effect. It is paired with an orchestration of innovative cutting and texture, by turns bold and delicate, this took it somewhere all of his own.

Spring/Summer 1989

Maison Margiela planted the seed in the mind of many during his 1313 first fashion show in 1989 just after the age of color had become stagnate. The 1980s were an age where designers had almost no limitations and created in the gluttony of color of popular brands like Versace making a name for themselves by creating amazingly intricate and loud designs on silk shirts and full-length shoulderless dresses. These garments reflected a world of glitz and glamor that was just not a true projection of the real world, what was happening at home was not happening on the runway and people got bored/tired of seeing a dream. So Margiela’s use of light and shade and more muted colours, had a loud effect.The light garments were cut and piece together as though the models got dressed and styled themselves. The collection has a do it yourself attitude and feel.

The 1990s were home to Anti-Fashion, a dystopian, dark, sinister development that sprung out of youth counter techno and grudge culture creating nihilistic cigarette kids who needed their own brands to represent themselves. Clothing created using dark fabrics with asymmetrical cuts and distressed details was a reaction to the overdose of vivid colors that had taken fashion hostage.

Spring/Summer 1997

As with all of Margiela’s collection, this was focused on dissection and reconstruction. His Spring ’97 collection introduced what would become a signature piece, a top that referenced the humble dress form on which it was made. Like dressform dummies, Margiela’s linen tops were numbered and lettered. Printed at the bottom were the words “semi couture,” reminding us of the anonymous hands that are involved in the making of any garment. For the show in which models were shuttled among three mini venues in the Place de la République via white buses. The collection featured new versions of the previous season’s dressmaker-form tops and even more explicit references to the materials and process of clothing construction. There were jackets made of pattern paper, visible basting stitches, and layered looks that were literally pinned together in parts. One-armed and asymmetric garments gave the impression they were half-finished.

The collection mirrored the idea of stand work and draping, as working on the body but in real time. Garments were left with dress pins on them.The colour pallete was simple, with blacks and greys that hung off the tan coloured bodices.

Company signature Maison Margiela by Martin Margiela has a more androgynous and feminine but under Galliano it is more oversized. With a uniquely unconventional principles imagined by Martin Margiela himself, a philosophy in which deconstruction and heritage go hand in hand to create designs that showcase fashion as an art of meaning rather than a cult of personality. Maison Margiela crosses the fashion spectrum from its ‘Artisanal’ collection. Passionate about the world of fashion as well as challenging social and fashion norms, the Maison Margiela label was first noticed for it’s unorthodox design techniques. Reflecting more of a raw, unfinished and grunge vibe in his collections they stood out amongst a crowded marketAlong with the group’s sister brands, Margiela continues to push the boundaries of modern fashion while celebrating its unique heritage.

Signature

Customer From the early begginings, Maison Margiela has always focused their target consumers at middle-aged women, due to his first line being women’s clothing which were pricey, only those who have a good wage and were older would generally be able to afford it. As time went on the brand expanded, he began creating men’s clothing as well as accessories, perfumes and furniture which of course broadened their consumer. Twenty years down the line and their target customer is still women aged 35-55 with a good disposable income as well as a business style job. Emerging countries in Asia are fast approaching consumers for luxury brands. This is due to their country changing infrastructure leading to greater levels of employment and higher disposable income. Possible long-term effects of this will mean well-educated populations, rising domestic consumption and an increasingly wealthy middle class. As the residents are becoming wealthier they want a taste of luxury living and are conspicuously consuming more and more high-end goods which is a perfect target for Maison Margiela. To do this they would have to consider the countries culture and adapt their clothing to fit the country’s needs. Another Emerging market is the genderless generation, this new trend is about creating gender-fluid fashion which allows brand to broaden their consumer base. To do this, Maison Maison Margiela could create a line that expresses both genders in each outfit. As this market makes its way into the public eye, the focus on gender fluidity begins a huge discussion; discrimination gets worse which causes people to act sensitive towards the subject. Although as society slowly begins to make it easier for people to come out , which is why they are emerging into markets. If Margiela doesn’t show awareness of this, the brand could potentially discrimination which would conclude in a bad reputation for the company.

Competitions Competitors vary but mainly stay in the Exclusive, High price point group. McQueen Alexander Wang Balenciaga Celine Burberry Marni Paul Smith Vivienne Westwood What sets Maison Margiela out from its competitors is their USP as, they create a show when you are in their stores which consists of the staff wearing lab coats and acting strange, everything is white along with them spreading talcum powder over the floor; this gives a surreal experience to consumers who question what is going off but are intrigued to go back and see what the store has to offer next time.

Technology Galliano assembles such deep and varied references for each of his collections that he practically creates shrines, making his work a challenge to excavate. And at Margiela, enigma is built into the codes of the house. Add to that the general hesitancy of designers to give interviews, and it’s rare that we hear one articulate his or her vision with any clarity beyond a few words backstage and a verbose collection memo left on each seat. I sometimes struggle with whether fashion designers, who work in a visual medium, after all, should be expected to explain what they do at all, but Galliano is one of the few designers who is not only verbally enchanting but also so instructive, and the house of Margiela has used a digital medium—one that the rest of the industry has struggled to tackle—to his creative advantage. This isn’t the only way Galliano is using technology artfully. He’s made it integral to his designs. In January, Galliano used a special fabric that lit up with hologram dazzle when viewed through your iPhone; otherwise, the pieces each looked like an oil slick—still pretty beautiful stuff. Knowing that viewers (even in the room) were going to watch the show through their iPhone, he used it as a motive to innovate, and it was no mere gimmick. Today, in addition to dropping his pod, Galliano included in his Fall Artisanal show “tech body clips” which gripped iPhones that livestreamed close-ups of the shoes, the sleeves, the headpieces—the small details that make couture special, but which are virtually invisible to the human eye on the runway. An inconvenience of the old era ameliorated by technical innovation. Over the past five years, as technology has become a necessary part of everyday life—something so omnipresent that it’s practically slotted into Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs—fashion designers have engaged with it primarily in two ways. First, with bells and whistles like drones, Instagram filters or hashtags, and livestreams. And second, by expressing in their clothes the inevitable anxiety it brings, its negative repercussions (hence all those tactical vests at the most recent men’s week). Both of these are reactive gestures, even conservative ones. “We're attached to our iPhones, everything on our iPads,” he says matter-of-factly in his podcast. “We are nomadic. We move around in tribes.” Galliano doesn’t swan around

Sustainability Margiela turned actual vintage Germany Army Trainers into designer sneakers that are highly sought after today. Those secondhand shoes even came with a note “Feel free to add your own graffiti.”

Besides upending the very concept of luxury, Margiela was known for highlighting the beauty of vintage creations. He did so most effectively with his Replica line, which consisted of exact reproductions of old clothes, accessories and objects that the designer found. The point was to emphasise their timelessness, which to Margiela was one of the most important qualities of a garment.

Today, his successor John Galliano is keeping that idea alive through Recicla. The new line, too, makes use of thrift store finds, not for replication, but for reuse. Stitched with the brand label, they were shown directly on the runway of the Maison Margiela F/W 2020 show as a bold statement that what we already have is enough. The entire collection was its use of upcycling. Galliano took used fabrics and clothing and seamlessly integrated them into the collection. He did the same technique he dubbed “Recicla,” where he handpicks vintage fashion items and restores and re-appropriates them into limited-edition garments or accessories, intended for sale. For the fall 2020 collection, this included the coats cut into elongated collars and the patched-together dresses. Bags crafted from taro leaves and 5AC bags upcycled from reclaimed luxury skins are also a part of the new technique.

Collaborations The company has collaborated on displays and designs with Barneys New York, Converse, G-Shock Opening Ceremony, Hermès, H&M, L’Oreal, and Swarovski.

Branding Maison Margiela pieces, as a general rule, lack any external branding elements. The only clearly branded feature is a removable tag, which features a sequence of printed numbers. One of the most frequently asked questions is what these numbers mean. Each circled number indicates what Maison Margiela line the piece belongs to. The numbering system is broken down as such: 1: The collection for women. "1 is the collection in which Maison Martin Margiela expresses its love for concept, design and process, for creativity and the avant-garde" [Est. 1988]. 2: Fragrance, in association with L'Oreal's Luxury Products Division [Mar. 2008 announced, Jan. 2010 released]. 4: A wardrobe for women, essentially basics. 6/mm6: Diffusion line including clothes, shoes and accessories [Est. Oct. 1997, rebranded mm6 in Jun. 2004]. 8: Eyewear collection [Est. Oct. 2007 for Spring/Summer 2008]. 10: The collection for men, equivalent of women's Line 1 [Est. Oct. 1998 for Spring/Summer 1999]. 11: A collection of accessories for women and men; "bags, belts, small leather goods and a few items of jewelry" [Est. Jan. 2005]. 12: Fine jewelry collection made in collaboration with the Damiani group [Est. Jul. 2008]. 13: Objects and publications [Est. Oct. 1998]. 14: A wardrobe for men, essentially basics, equivalent of women's Line 4 [Est. Jul. 2004 for Spring/Summer 2005]. 15: Mail order [Est. April 1999]. 22: A collection of shoes for women and men [Est. Fall/Winter 2005]. Sartorial: A capsule collection part of Line 14, identifiable with a gold embroidered cursive "Maison Martin Margiela" in the lining by the jacket pocket [Est. Fall/Winter 2008].

Branding Replica: "Every season since 1994, Maison Martin Margiela has introduced a capsule collection within its men's and women's lines, including around thirty pieces of staple garments and accessories, called 'Replica.'" To say that Martin Margiela was low-key in his approach would be an understatement. It's no wonder that many of the headlines and articles documenting Martin Margiela's enduring legacy almost always include the word "invisible." Martin Margiela is a man that did not just avoid the spotlight, but outright refused it. This idea of anonymity served as the fundamental basis for Maison Martin Margiela's presentations, shows, collections and marketing. Unlike most interviews with designers where individual achievements were emphasized, Margiela always made use of collective terms like "we" and "us," and never "I" when discussing his work. This idea even extends to how Maison Martin Margiela employees themselves are dressed to this day, with each employee—from the design team to those working at Margiela retail outlets—wearing a plain white lab coat. The label is quoted as saying: "We try to have people accept the fact that the work of the Maison Martin Margiela can exist independently of what the designer looks like-that our work is solely a proposition of wearing what it is we like to create, a presentation of a way in which we see things at a given moment…Everyone has a role within the team, but everyone also has a voice within that team…It is consistently stressed that the work is the collaboration of a team and not just about one single individual."

Promotion As Margiela didn’t want to create a typical brand and is now perceived as a notoriously press shy human; this makes him the promotion of the brand. While other designers were trying to become famous, Margiela’s anonymity became louder than ever and as Patrick Scallon said “ absence equals presence”. As very few people knew what Martin Margiela looks like it created constant talk in magazines which got the word out about the brand. People were then forced to go to stores and purchase clothing to gain any knowledge of Martin.

Social Media Social Media has become increasingly popular, by 2019 it is expected that 3 billion people will be on the platform. With over 400,000 followers on Facebook, 280,000 on Twitter and 3 million on Instagram, alongside its official website, Margiela updates their followers with their latest collections to keep them up-to-date on trends, this could urge their customers to act quickly by buying the latest gear, to seek that high-status value they desire. Rather than advertisements they take part in celebrity endorsement which allows the consumers to see powerful people who have made it in the world and aspire to be like them. Kanye West and Jay-Z came out with a song in 2011 called ‘N*ggas in Paris’ and reference Margiela in the lyrics “what’s that jacket Margiela”. Kanye is constantly in the public eye and knownfor showing off his knowledge of fashion in many of his songs, this would have gained Margiela a lot of recognition and perhaps new consumers as Kanye appeals to the younger generation.

Feed

Stockists Maison Margiela has stores in big cities such as London, Paris, Milan and New York. I believe this is because the majority of his target consumers work in prime areas as that is where the majority of jobs and money are at. Harrods and Selfridges also stock his clothing which are known for their good quality products. In 1984 when Maison Margiela had completed his ‘tabi boots’ he went into Geert Bruloot’s Crocodrillo store and asked if they’d stock his shoe collection,being a store that sells exciting new designs meant it was a good opportunity to get his Tabi boot recognized. As Indonesia is set to become the world’s Muslim fashion capital in 2020, a strategical move could be to expand and place a store there as long as they cater to Muslim emerging markets. Sales The brand makes it’s sales through the Margiela Boutiques that located in all major cities. As well as online reatilers such as Farfetch, and stockists such as Nordstrom, Selfridges, Galleries Laffayette.