For Martin Margiela’s first ever runway show in 1989, the designer debuted a series of sheer fabric masks that models wore over their faces. The theme of anonymity has been baked into the fabric of the house since its inception, from the mysterious nature of the brand’s faceless founder to the repeated use of masks in the three-plus decades since Spring/Summer ‘89.
Kicking off a tenure at a house like Maison Margiela with a debut artisanal collection and John Galliano as your predecessor takes tenacity—and today, Glenn Martens proved that he has it in spades.
Maison Margiela
Maison Margiela
The starting point was plastic. A strapless, translucent gown emerged with a layered plastic underskirt and a matching mask. Immediately, Martens began to play with the corsetry, draping and trompe-l'oeil for a sculptural effect. The masks, which were worn as part of every single one of the 49 looks (a huge feat for a first couture show), corresponded with every dress, jacket, and ensemble on display. There was an emphasis on volume and sculpture. Gothic themes underscored these shapes, nodding to medieval architecture and saintly figures; like a canvas caped dress that revealed little other than a black crystal encrusted mask, or a draped column dress crafted from aged-bronze oscillating duchess, woven with metal threads.
These dresses, looks 9 to 11, echoed the fabrics and techniques that Martens employed in his 2022 haute couture debut collection as a guest designer at Jean Paul Gaultier, all iridescent and gathered and volume-forward.
Maison Margiela
Maison Margiela
Elsewhere, Martens turned to the theme of decay as a gesture through renewal. There were repurposed vintage leather jackets that had been distressed and patchworked together, a printed and distressed polo top. A leather trench coat appeared to be rotting, through an overlay of paper printed with a collage of 16th-century Flemish hand-painted and embossed floral leather wallpapers that were peeling off of the garments.
Maison Margiela
Maison Margiela
Eveningwear softened things, and offered some moments that will easily be translated onto the red carpet when the time is right. There were sheer jersey dresses that revealed waist-cinching corsets underneath; one was accessorized with a ruby and diamond costume necklace, another with a veil that went entirely over the face and cascaded into a train. A white crushed-satin floor length bridal dress faded upwards into a mass of lace and tulle floral motifs that engulfed the face.
Maison Margiela
Maison Margiela
There were crystal embellished suits in jewel-toned hues with matching masks, dark charmeuse dresses with “anatomically draped” shrugs over the top, and finally, an acid-green charmeuse ruffled top and floor length skirt with a matching mask, solidifying the fact that we are, in fact, now in Martens’ world. The chops it takes to pull off a well-executed, 49-look debut couture show is no small thing. We may be having a Tabi resurgence, but this is a house steeped in fashion history and commitment to craft. Martens was careful in striking a precise balance between respecting the rich house codes of Margiela’s legacy, while pushing it into a new framework that feels contemporary and exciting. When so many debuts are expected to flail in the face of expectation, Martens has embraced it with triumph.
Maison Margiela
Maison Margiela
Maison Margiela
Maison Margiela
