I have mixed feelings about this. To start, I’m a Margiela fan and probably wear a piece in some form or another, from one of the collections, almost every day, starting with the 14 pairs of shoes & boots that are in the front rotation of my closet.
I love the understated and edgy appeal. I love the non-showiness of pieces that withstand time and always look current. I love the deconstructed “secret” white threads that have the same appeal to me as a red sole or giant gold monogram have for others.
Then there’s John Galliano, a showman and theatrical fashion genius. Quite the opposite of the quiet cool of Maison Martin Margiela. And when Mr. Margiela was at the helm no one ever saw him anyway, the polar opposite of Galliano and his anti-semetic drunken outburst caught on video that took him off the fashion grid.
Now, much in the same way Saint Laurent was reinvented without the Yves, Maison Martin Margiela has lost the “Martin.” It now has Galliano at the helm.
The Maison Margiela ‘Artisanal’ show was yesterday in London.
I’ve spent the time looking at photos and thinking about John Galliano for Maison Margiela. It’s a new day for sure. Although fashion people ae fickle, I’m still stinging from Galliano’s snockered “I love Hitler” tirade and not quite sure of how the extravagance of his style will play out under this label, even with the styling homage to the house, like the play of smart tailored prices against more avant garde styling.
The two-tone, sliced down the middle shoes were plentiful but a far cry from the more “walking” heel of the past.
It’s couture, so art is over wearability. I’m more than intriqued to see the ready to wear next. What do you think?
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Photos: Maison Margiela