Can’t teach an old dog new tricks? No, I suppose you can’t. But can he get better? Can he forget, then pick them up again? If the Yohji Yamamoto show last night was any indication, then the answer is yes.

Held in the 17th district of Paris in the Lycée Carnot, Yohji dropped a long black lighting rig low and long, to consolidate a cavernous space into a bright capsule in the cold. Black blankets sat on the seats to warm the guests, who journeyed somewhat far afield for the final show of the evening, after a day of long delays in the cold. The blankets, however, did little to warm the heart – a task amply achieved by Yohji himself, with a production that verged on the ceremonial, a soundtrack that tugged on the heartstrings, and a collection that proved he has what it takes to push through a difficult period i...

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It is without extraneous fanfare that we introduce you to the man himself, Mr. Martin Margiela. Born in 1957 in Genk, Belgium, Martin is currently 52 years old. This photograph was taken by Marcio Madeira in 1997, and although unconfirmed by the house, is thought to be the most recent image of Martin in public circulation. Such a candid image is a rarity  - the picture of a man who has built a veritable empire on the ideals of collective thought and anonymity, unmasked here in a candid close-up. Etched in our minds, it is instantly iconic.

Martin, revealed.

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In our second contribution from the wonderful Paris-based photographer and artist Marina Faust, we present an article that she wrote on the history of the Maison Martin Margiela in 1996 for Purple Magazine. Many thanks to Marina and to Purple Magazine for their support.

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MARTIN MARGIELA, INEVITABLY HERE AND NOW

October ’89. Paris. People talk about Martin Margiela who has presented his collection on a terrain vague. I am intrigued and attracted. Sounds alternative or underground. We hadn’t had that for a while.

Fall ’90. I visit the showroom. Everything is painted white, even the TV. Assimilation of a place as he found it. Don’t destroy what has already been lived through, introduce yourself. An attitude he applies as much to objects as to cloth...

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“Martin is a friend, so I was introduced via him, at the time of the first show. It was in 1989 in Paris. Back then I was living in Antwerp, Hongkong and Paris and I worked as a freelance designer. We cooked together, organised shows, exhibitions and much much more. Now I work as a scenographer and I live in Antwerp.” – Bob Verhelst

Belgian-born Bob Verhelst is one of the world’s leading scenographers in the realms of fashion, a man who has lent his spatial awareness, attention to detail and keen aesthetic eye to the Maison Martin Margiela for over two decades. In that time he has worked on many exhibitions for the house at museums around the globe, including the upcoming re-edition of the ‘20′ exhibition in London in June.

Aside from working with Margiela and this close relationship with MoMu, Bob’s o...

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British photographer Jonathan Hallam had an unusual introduction to Maison Martin Margiela [for a photographer]. Rather than starting taking photos backstage, in the pit shooting a show, or working on lookbooks etc., Jonathan first worked as assistant to renowned hair stylist Eugene Souleiman on the puppet show defilé in Paris for FW 98-99. After living in Paris for six years, Jonathan has now returned to London, where he is a contributor to magazines such as Purple Fashion, Self Service, i-D and Encens.

For A#1, Jonathan offered an intimate black and white portrait series and four candid shots from the unconventional parade – when stylist Jane How offered fifteen silhouettes from the collection on life-size puppets at Le Foyer de L’Arches, La Grande Arche de la Defence, P...

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A BLOG curated by Maison Martin Margiela is excited to announce that Somerset House, the prestigious site of London Fashion Week, shall be hosting the twenty year commemorative exhibition of the Maison Martin Margiela from June 3rd, 2009.

The exhibition is curated by the MoMu fashion museum of Antwerp, who hosted the original Margiela exhibition in early 2009, and have since taken the ’show on the road’ through Haus der Kunst in Munich, and now specially transformed for this historical venue on the banks of the Thames in London.

With previous exhibitions in the space including SHOWstudio’s fashion revolution, we are sure that it will be a stunning backdrop for this in-depth look at the past two decades of the Maison Martin Margiela...

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Attending her first Margiela show in the 1980s with her mother Melka, French stylist Delphine Tréanton has a long history with the house. Delphine is one of the top stylists and ex-French Glamour editor, and today her contributions grace the pages of magazines such as French Vogue, FEMMES, Madame Figaro and more.

For her contribution to A#1, Delphine worked with photographer Eric Traoré, to create a stunning series of x-ray style images of Maison Martin Margiela garments, transforming them into ghostly artworks. The delicate play of shadows and the exposure of all layers of fabric creates a skeletal effect, as though they are scientific or mathematical drawings of the clothes. The signature stitches and labels of the house are clearly visible in the im...

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“Neutral / opposite of black / “carte blanche”. In addition to optical white, the whole range of whites. Principal colour used for all boutiques and studios. Even for painting on certain clothes.”

This definition of white from the Maison Martin Margiela barely begins to encompass its significance as a keystone of the house’s philosophy since its inception in a white walled and curtained room in Paris in 1989.

Throughout A#1, Margiela has compiled an eclectic blend of white inspirations, inserted between external collaborations offering the essence of tainted purity and tongue-in-cheek humour of the house.

The series begins with the image of a cluttered living room – a white rabbit peeking from under a coffee table laden with white crockery and cups as a pair of stockin...

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With budgets tight and companies feeling the sting of recession, it is not often that you can expect hidden extras, let alone DIY tips in a fashion magazine these days. A brand’s sense of identity, their signature cuts, silhouettes and logos are their equity and play such a vital role in establishing them in the global fashion sphere.

So why unveil the secrets? Why diffuse this essence? With the fear of seeming too profound, ask Maison Martin Margiela. This is exactly what they did in A#1, offering readers the chance to make their own Margiela-inspired garment. In a simplified version of the techniques of the Margiela Artisanal team, this sixteen step diagram shows you how to transform eight pairs of white socks into a sweater – cutting and stitching the footwear into a ribbed, stretc...

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Maison Martin Margiela has such a track record of unconventional presentations, that the idea of a runway show of their mens collection seems almost absurd now. From films shown in cafes, to defilés in railway stations and disused parking lots, there has been no shortage of unusual and often ‘low-brow’ locations to disengage guests from the glitz and glamour of Paris presentations. For Fall Winter 2010, Margiela returned to the Maison des Métallos in the 11th district, a modern hall that lacks any grandeur or history of french architecture – simply a blank canvas which the house succeeds in making, well, even more blank.

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