Very few brands out on the large landscape of fashionable “cool-dom” can elevate an average look into a memorable one. Atop that steep apogee sits a small atelier of creativity that clouds anyone wearing it with an instant edge. Stacked-heel tabi-toe boots, squishy Glam Slam bags and blank labels held in place with four visible stitches are part of its visual vernacular. And now its pop up is open at Aventura Mall on the Lower Level.
Since its birth in 1988, Parisian fashion house Maison Margiela has been a name linked to sartorial excellence. The eponymous label was launched by Belgian designer Martin Margiela, whose creations in men’s and womenswear have pushed the boundaries of fashion with its deconstructing, reinventing, and redefining of the silhouette. Using raw, unorthodox design techniques, Margiela’s challenge of social and fashion norms quickly became the brand’s raison d’etre. While the garments and accessories started to garner major fanfare, Martin Margiela, cloaked in iconoclastic mystique, has opted for anonymity giving no interviews and releasing no photos of himself (allegedly only one can be found online.) Even after Martin left the label after two decades at its helm, the ‘faceless’ facade continued to delineate its ethos with the focus on clothing, rather than the personality behind it. This trickles down to all employees, too. From the head designers to the interns, everyone must wear the so-called “blousons blanche,” or white coats, complete with multiple pockets, sleek wrap-fronts and side-ties, as a means of establishing a sense of collective identity, unity and mystery.
With John Galliano as its creative director since 2014, that visibility rose considerably. With his previous posts at the house of Christian Dior and Givenchy, many were wondering how his high profile would resonate with Maison Margiela DNA. It did ever so beautifully. Shying away from the Haute Couture appellation from the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture Parisienne, Margiela’s insistence on the Artisanal moniker positioned the brand as attainable yet refined. Galliano’s dedication to Margiela’s heritage is unaltered.
Today, together with sister brand MM6, Maison Margiela continues to celebrate its avant-garde lineage as it continues to challenge modern fashion. The fashion house has over 70 of its own stores around the world, including boutiques that exclusively stock the MM6 collection. Be sure to stop by its new pop up to immerse yourself in the unique world of Maison Margiela.
