Goodbye, Margiela.
Only days ago, the fashion world was saddened by the news of the retirement of Martin Margiela. Known as fashion’s ”invisible man”, due to his lack of face in the public eye, Margiela has decided to throw in his designing hat at Maison Martin Margiela. A cult brand for the past 20 years, Martin Margiela has wowed beloved fashionistas with his unmatched ability to create pieces of intrigue and perfection. Will the mystery and beauty of Maison Martin Margiela ever be the same without the man who created this namesake and drew in so many loyal, loving disciples?
Majority stake-holder, Renzo Rosso, eases nerves by explaining that Maison Martin Margiela will still assist from afar, although they are in search of a new creative director to pave the way for the youthfully talented design team. Maison Martin Margiela will always be fantastic because of the man who started it all, but there won’t be that allure, edge, and ‘je ne sais quoi’ that it always had. Martin Margiela lured in sense of invisibility and enigma that has been woven into the DNA of Maison Martin Margiela ever since the beginning of it’s time. Patrick Scallon, Margiela’s wing man, illustrates the true Margiela for us by saying , ” To understand the cult elements that animate the Margiela brand, it’s important to understand the role that invisibility and anonymity has had throughout the brand’s history…absense equals presence…and the cult of impersonality”. These central themes are displayed throughout every aspect of the brand. For instance, staff at Margiela stores wear standard white labcoats, the stores themselves are pure white and are never listed in phonebooks or identified with street signs, and the packaging is white and logo free. Also, at shows, models for Maison Martin Margiela often have their faces covered or are wearing glasses, and seating is on a first come first serve basis so that the hierarchy of the fashion world blends in with the rest of rest civilization.
Refreshingly unique, utterly fabulous, Martin Margiela’s legacy will live on, but what will be missed is his genious talent and mastery of fashion.
xx Isabella