I like to visit a fashion expo now and then and as there is a fab one at the MoMu in Antwerp right now, I was off to see it! Unfortunately I wasn’t allowed to take pictures at the exposition… but I guess that means you’ll have to go and see for yourself!

I already told you about this exposition a couple of weeks ago (in this post), but as I have seen it with my own eyes now, I really think it deserves a post on its own 🙂

Belgium may be but a tiny little country, it is big in the fashion world! Dries Van Noten, Raf Simons, Ann Demeulemeester are just a few of the biggest names in fashion and of course Martin Margiela is standing tall and proud on that list as well.

Margiela is known for deconstructing and reinventing silhouettes. He often fuses the two genders and his garments are marked with a plain white label.

A cloud of mystery hangs over the man Martin Margiela. He always remains backstage after a show and he rarely gives an interview. There are but a few images of him. And even his models are often unrecognizable.

Embed from Getty Images

Margiela graduated at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in 1979, a year before the famous Antwerp Six. He started off as a free lance designer, but soon he could work for Jean-Paul Gaultier. In 1988 he showed the first collection of his own label ‘Maison Martin Margiela’.

Below you see one Margiela’s signature designes: boots with a cleft toe.

Embed from Getty Images

Between 1997 and 2003 he was the creative director of the Hermès women’s line. This wasn’t an obvious choice. Hermès was known as one of the most influential avant-garde designers whereas Hermès is a high fashion luxury brand known for its traditional clothes, bags and accessories. Could Margiela really fit in?

He absolutely succeeded in his task. He made sleek designs which were all about comfort, timelessness and tactility. He used a sober and monochrome colour palette in his designs and he had the chance to work with the most luxurious materials and with skilled professionals.

He has introduced numerous innovations and he made a total of twelve consecutive Hermès collections.

Below you see the only picture I found on Getty Images of Margiela’s work for Hermès. It shows off the discreet elegance of his work for Hermès.

Embed from Getty Images

At the MoMu you now have the chance to see many of his Hermès designs. See up close how luxurious these garments are, how innovative, how absolutely timeless…

Besides his work for Hermès, the MoMu also shows work of Margiela’s own label. They compare both brands and no matter how different the designs, there are always things that come back in both his work for Hermès and in his own label.

Margiela is a true artist and inventor and this exposition is definitely a must-see for every fashion lover!

Love, Kathleen

Here you can read my review of an exhibition of Dries Van Noten.