Online Auction: 3–9 March 2021 • 2:00 PM CET • Paris
S otheby's upcoming auction Martin Margiela - Hors Normes II is a celebration of the elusive designer who has never given an interview and whose refined white brand label carries no logo.
Considered one of the most atypical and influential designers of his generation, Martin Margiela is one of the very few couturiers to have achieved a radical renewal in the world of contemporary fashion. In this second high-profile sale, nearly 200 pieces assembled by a private collector over more than 20 years, will revisit the most iconic creations of his career, from his emergence in 1989 through to 2006.
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Martin Margiela lookbooks from 2002 to 2006
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An iconic look from the Spring-Summer 1996 Collection
Presented in the Banquet Hall of Paris’ Maison de la Mutualité, the 1996 Spring-Summer collection validated the fusion of trompe-l'oeil and fashion. It quickly became one of Margiela's most emblematic collections.
Offering an innovative approach to clothing, Martin Margiela selected a dozen pieces of vintage wear and had them photographed by close collaborators in order to later reprint the images on fluid materials such as muslin and jersey. The result presented a total contrast with the original materials and textures of the clothes - such as Shetland wool, fur or knit.
Martin Margiela | Spring-Summer 1996
A black muslin cardigan with photographic shirt-print, and long skirt with sequins print
ESTIMATE: 2,000 - 2,500 EUR
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Click on the red dots to discover more
ESTIMATE: 2,000 - 2,500 EUR
View Lot
Click on the red dots to discover more
- The Skirt
The skirt is adorned by the photographic print of a 1970’s sequined dress, applied here on fine jersey. In spite of the simplicity of the design, the glittering effect of the sequin print adds texture and volume.
At the bottom of the skirt, the white reserve testifies to the imperfect nature of converting an article of vintage clothing into a new one.
- Top
The top is adorned with the photographic print of a vintage pleated blouse in shades of black and white. Details and pleats contrasting in transparency.
- Label
The signature of this model, the emblematic white label of Martin Margiela, held by 4 stitches of white thread, is in itself a manifesto; letting the garment, rather than the couturier, speak for itself.
The concept of trompe-l'oeil has become one of the founding precepts of Martin Margiela: not only it can be found in his collections, but also in the very decoration and layout of the artist’s offices and boutiques.
The models from the 1996 collection offered on this sale represent a specific moment in the history of clothing and have, in turn, marked the history of fashion.
