In 2006, Martin Margiela brought his eponymous maison to Florence for a one-off show at the then-disused Teatro Puccini, a former cinema built to entertain workers of the vast tobacco factory next door. Presenting his ‘menswear line 10’ (led by designer Sebastian Meunier), the event was touted as a ‘white out’, with the theatre’s interior painted matte white for the occasion (white was long Margiela’s favoured hue). Models arrived on white scooters or in white limousines; in lieu of a traditional runway show, models briefly darted through the gathered crowd before picking up a drink at the bar and partying long into the night.
The occasion was part of Pitti Uomo, the historic Florentine menswear fair that each season invites a series of ‘guest designers’ to host runway shows across the city (running since the 1970s, previous editions have hosted Raf Simons, Martine Rose, Jean Paul Gaultier, Thom Browne, Telfar, Grace Wales Bonner, and several others). Two decades on, marking the beginning of men’s fashion month, it was the turn of MM6 Maison Margiela – the Maison Margiela offshoot which launched in 1997 as a more approachable offshoot of the avant-garde house – to play guest star at the event, as well as marking its very first dedicated menswear show (typically MM6 hosts a co-ed show in Milan during womenswear week).
