While Martin Margiela hung up his fashion gloves in 2008, his influence endures, both as a perennial reference on the runways and as an educational trove for budding students the world over. However, in the years since his departure – he has swapped the fashion studio for a career in art – his legacy as the designer’s designer has only been institutionally surveyed on a few occasions. It makes the newly opened fashion exhibition, Margiela: In the Void (until April 5, 2024), an important milestone for anyone with an interest in the history (and future) of fashion design.
The show comes from a partnership between Paris-based vintage retailer Byronesque and the Miami-based Parodi Costume Collection, home to an extensive archive of Maison Martin Margiela, Comme Des Garçons, Yohji Yamamoto and Cristóbal Balenciaga, among others. Together, the two organisations settled on the concept of ‘void’ as a way to explore the absence, anti-stardom and deconstructive approach that has defined Margiela’s oeuvre. Showcasing an array of looks from 1994 to 2005 – some of which are indeed missing certain items – the show revels in its incompleteness, treating Margiela as a springboard for critical thinking and creative response from a selection of enlisted artists.
