MM6 Maison Margiela

September 20, 2018

Chandeliers dangled from low ceilings along with exit signs and extension cords in the dusty, windowless cellar. Platforms decked out in wallpaper and shattered mirrors were lit by bare fluorescent bulbs on the floor. As people milled around, a piece of drywall fell over, making a sudden crash. This was the scene at the MM6 Maison Margiela SS ’19 presentation on Monday, the penultimate day of London Fashion Week.

After standing and waiting (in typical Margiela fashion, there were no assigned seats) for a solid 30 minutes, metal music began to roar, before quickly switching to the decadent tones of a French harpsichord—it was sonic whiplash courtesy of the brand. The dissonant soundtrack continued throughout the show, as models filed out, stopping on platforms placed throughout the basement to pose only for a moment, before continuing on their walk through the dark, damp cellar.

Text by Drew Zeiba

This clash of sound also defined the clothes—streetwear meets Belle Époque, their mixture and creation inspired by rediscovery and replication—where pieces from Clignancourt flea markets served as the basis for patterns or as actual fabric to be reused.

Satin dresses were paired with hoodies and rococo pastels met 21st century black and ripped denim. While appliqué garments on streetwear might sound a bit Balenciaga, the effects and motivations here were entirely different (not least of all in that a portion of the proceeds from this collection will be going to the French HIV/AIDS non-profit AIDES, which Margiela has supported since 1994). Less a practice in self-indulgent irony, these vintage-inspired creations were a self-conscious exercises in pastiche—zombie looks for an era of undead references and unceasing remixes.

View some of the highlights, below.

Photos courtesy of the brand.

Fashion

I am the makeup on your eyes

PRINCESS GOLLUM wears HAT by HELENA EISENHART, SHIRT by CD1974, EARRINGS by KARTHUR all c/o RETAIL PHARMACY, and BRACELET by MARTINE ALI

PRINCESS GOLLUM wears NECKLACE by CHRIS HABANA, SCARF by ALEXANDER WANG, EARRINGS by MARTINE ALI

PRINCESS GOLLUM wears JACKET by ALEXANDER WANG, SHIRT by BLONDITA SHOP, SKIRT by GOOD MANNERS, BOOTS by FERRAGAMO, JEWELRY by MARTINE ALI

PRINCESS GOLLUM wears DRESS and BODYSUIT by RUI, BELT by HOLLYWOOD LOWBROW c/o RETAIL PHARMACY, BOOTS by FERRAGAMO

Fashion

Go-See Situation

Agnès is wearing a top from Peng Tai, a skirt from IRO Paris and boots from GmbH

Moli is wearing a top from Mengche Chiang, a dress from r . l . e with with tights from Wolford, ring from Julia Bartsch and shoes from empty behavior

Chloe is wearing a top from Acne Studios, pants from MM6 with a belt from Julia Bartsch, sunglasses from Uvex and shoes from Proenza Schouler

Glory is wearing a shirt from IRO Paris, pants from peng tai and shoes from Yume Yume

Timothée is wearing a shirt from Paloma Wool, pants from helios Emil and shoes from Yume Yume

Youssef is wearing a shirt from Dries Van Noten, pants, boots and underwear from GmbH, and a vintage hat

Fashion

The People of Lang

April 05, 2024

“The person gives meaning and value to the clothes and not the other way around,” said Peter Do of Helmut Lang SS24, his debut collection for the brand, which has finally hit the shelves.

It is an interesting, if not provocative choice — not only to ont put the garments primary, but to focus not on the “people,” as in a collective, but the “person,” as singular. It's a nod to what the brand has set out to establish since Do’s arrival, framing dressing as a system. It's a democratic formula which feeds off individuality and personal expression, relying upon character as opposed to custom. It’s a manifestation of personality, a farewell to performance. And it leaves us with one question, who is person enough to embody such a humble request?

By Vilda Krog
Photography by Huy Luoung
Styling by Jason Rider

The person in motion, the person of passion, the people passing by on the street who don’t care where you’re going, because they’re on a mission of their own. As Do crafts his garments, likewise do these individuals carve out their paths for themselves. No rules, no guidelines, and if there were — aren’t those meant to be broken? Suggestively, Do broke several rules once he interrogated assumptions around everyday dress back in September last year. Criticism came from more than one place at once. However, by staying true to his vision, he’s already beginning to see the fruits of his labor: his system of dressing, crystallized. It's subtly arrogant, yet widely accessible, dynamic, and utilitarian: it's a blazer, those striped trousers, that turtleneck top, and the traditional flattering denims. In other words, it's your carte blanche, thus let their personality be the color.

Who are they? The campaign, photographed by Huy Luoung and styled by Jason Rider, stars An-My Le, Armina Howanda Mussa, Ash Owens, Connor Sen Warnick, Devin B. Johnson, Eli Ping, Frederique Thiollet, John Yuyi, Kai Avent-Deleon, Linda Rodin, Michael Abel, Mindy Seu, Minjae Kim, Oscar Yi Hou, Sam Stewart, Sophia Roe, Steph Shiu, Yahdon Israel.

Usually, I’d hesitate to spell out more than four names, but in this case, perhaps we should consider them adjectives. Not at the expense of individuality. But rather, the definition of it.