Margiela brown tweed wool pant suit with matching saddle bag, fw 1998
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: IT 44 - FR 40 - UK 12 (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU14026964561
Maison Martin Margiela
Belgian designer Martin Margiela (b. 1957) — whose life, career, clothing designs and vintage shoes have become cult-collector obsessions — pushed those who attended his shows outside their comfort zones. In the years following his maison's 1988 debut, he toyed with creative and aesthetic paradoxes that persist in fashion today.
Consider the Spring/Summer 2001 shirt patchworked from vintage clothing labels, or his famous corset dresses made from tailoring dummies, from his Fall/Winter 1997 line. Or his oversize collection for Fall/Winter 2000. In 1992, Margiela told Dépêche Mode magazine, “My clothes appeal to women of a certain mindset rather than of a specific age or physique.”
Born in Genk, Belgium, in 1957, Margiela knew he wanted to be a fashion designer after catching glimpses of Parisian fashion on TV as a child. Although his parents discouraged this career choice as an oddly funny aspiration, Margiela enrolled in the fashion program of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp. There, he befriended and graduated a year ahead of the Antwerp Six — the acclaimed group of Belgian fashion designers comprising Dries Van Noten, Walter Van Beirendonck, Ann Demeulemeester, Marina Yee, Dirk Bikkembergs and Dirk Van Saene.
Like many of his contemporaries in the 1980s, Margiela understood Paris fashion but felt a deep resonance with the deconstructed beauty espoused by Japanese designers Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo, of Comme des Garçons. Margiela’s fascination with Japan influenced many of his earliest collections and designs, from a dress pieced together from broken plates to his iconic Tabi boots, inspired by the split-toe Japanese worker’s shoe, which dates back to the 15th century. He decided to launch his own line while working for renowned Paris designer Jean Paul Gaultier.
Margiela, Gaultier has often stated, was his best assistant. Even then, the 2019 film Martin Margiela: In His Own Words suggests, he was acutely aware of the widening gulf between the art and the business of fashion.
Margiela’s debut show was nothing short of spectacular. Set in a packed Café de la Gare in the still-seedy Marais district, it was also scandalous to the Parisian fashion set of the time. The designer tore up the conventions of contemporary couture presentations, most notably having his models, plucked from the streets and wearing ink-blotted Tabis, wend their way through the crowd. The show redefined the concept of the runway in a way that would later inspire such designers as Alexander McQueen and Demna Gvasalia.
While the notoriously private designer retired from fashion in 2009, for many Maison Martin Margiela collectors, his pieces capture the irreverence of the postwar, post-punk late 1980s and ’90s. Katy Rodriguez, cofounder of the cult vintage fashion shop Resurrection, is among those who felt a connection to Margiela’s clothing in the subliminal challenges it posed to the time’s beauty norms.
“Growing up in San Francisco and coming out of the end of punk rock, not wanting to be objectified, not wanting to be seen as a sexual object, not wanting your value to be just because you’re pretty — all those clothes played into all of that,” she says. “It really was a reflection of the kind of world the young people I knew at the time wanted to live in.”
Find vintage Maison Martin Margiela boots, evening dresses, jackets and more on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: London, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Vivienne Westwood red checked tweed and black velvet skirt suit, fw 1991By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GB▪ Vivienne Westwood red checked tweed skirt suit ▪ 100% Wool ▪ Large orb etched buttons ▪ Large turn-over cuffs ▪ Black cotton velvet 'kick-out' skirt with tulle petticoat ▪ FR 38...Category
1990s British Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Vivienne Westwood Men's black striped wool double breasted suit, fw 1996By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GB▪ Vivienne Westwood Men's black striped wool suit ▪ Double breasted blazer jacket ▪ Large Orb etched buttons ▪ Two front pockets ▪ High waisted slim pants ▪ Jacket size 42 / Pants...Category
1990s British Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Alexander McQueen grey wool structured pant suit, fw 2000By Alexander McQueenLocated in London, GB▪ Alexander McQueen grey structured pant suit ▪ Outer: 100% Wool, Lining: 100% Silk ▪ Mid-length fitted jacket ▪ Diamond cut panels to bodice ▪ Standing shawl lapel ▪ Metal hook...Category
1990s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Jean Paul Gaultier green and black knitted wool feathered skirt suit, fw 1991By Jean Paul GaultierLocated in London, GB▪ Jean Paul Gaultier knitted skirt suit ▪ 100% Wool ▪ Green feathered collar ▪ Cream and green checkered trim ▪ Green above-the-knee fitted skirt ▪ IT 42 - FR 38 - UK 10 - US 6 ▪ F...Category
1990s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Gucci by Tom Ford black croc embossed evening pant suit, ss 2000By Tom Ford for Gucci, GucciLocated in London, GBGucci by Tom Ford black croc embossed flared pant suit with silver diamanté clasp fastening. Spring-Summer 2000Category
1990s Italian Trouser Pant Suits
- John Galliano purple and black herringbone mohair sweater and skirt set, fw 1999By John GallianoLocated in London, GB▪ John Galliano purple mohair sweater and skirt set ▪ Black herringbone design with purple base ▪ Turn-over cuffs ▪ Large high-neck fold-over c...Category
1990s French Skirt Suits
- Tom Ford for Gucci S/S 1993 Runway Vintage Zipper JumpsuitBy Tom Ford for GucciLocated in Naples, FLTom Ford for Gucci S/S 1993 Runway Vintage Zipper Jumpsuit IT 38 Excellent Condition! Like New!Category
1990s Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- ALEXANDER McQUEEN c.1996 Black Linen Stripe Detail Blazer Trouser Pant Suit SetBy Alexander McQueenLocated in Thiensville, WIALEXANDER McQUEEN c.1996 Black Linen Stripe Detail Blazer Trouser Pant Suit Set Brand / Manufacturer: Alexander McQueen Circa: 1996 Designer: Alexander McQueen Style: Tailored blaze...Category
1990s Italian Trouser Pant Suits
- Sonia Rykiel 1970s Navy Knit EnsembleBy Sonia RykielLocated in Alford, MA1970s dress and coat ensemble in navy wool knit by Sonia Rykiel. The slim coat features a top-stitched yolk detail, a round neckline, and single-breasted clo...Category
1970s French Dress and Coat Ensembles
- Vintage Batik Print Skirt and BodiceLocated in London, GBA charming two piece that could be worn equally well seperately. In a batik like print of grey , white and blue, the skirt has gathering at the waist and a scalloped hem. The bodice...Category
1950s Unknown Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- 1940s Wine Gaberdine SuitLocated in San Francisco, CA1940s wine colored wool gaberdine suit with bands of reverse material below the shoulders. The faux pockets are hand stitched decorative along the left shoulder. The cuffs are decorated with matching panels...Category
1940s Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- 1980s David Hayes Red and Black Asymmetrical SuitBy David HayesLocated in San Francisco, CA1980s David Hayes Red and black asymmetrical suit with front hidden front button closure, along a black boarder and decorative button at the neckline...Category
1980s Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Martin Margiela: An Intimate Look at the Designer and His Surreal Fashions
In a recently released film, the elusive Belgian designer reflects on his time in the fashion world and his avant-garde creations, which have become coveted collector items.
This Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen Ensemble Is Part Zsa Zsa Gabor, Part ‘Blade Runner’
As Burton steps away from the brand, it’s a fitting time to revisit one of her visionary designs.