メゾン マルテン マルジェラ：グレンが50〜60文字の日本人に向けてメガアーティザナルデビューを果たす

It’s a massive season for equally massive debuts, with Jonathan Anderson and Michael Rider just putting forward their opening statements at Dior and Celine respectively, and Louise Trotter and Matthieu Blazy’s big firsts at Bottega Veneta and Chanel some of the most anticipated shows of the coming womenswear season. The one that got people really excited, though, was Glenn Martens at Maison Margiela. 

The Belgian designer, who until recently was busy securing Y/Project’s place in the annals of avant-garde fashion history (RIP), was appointed creative director of Martin’s house in January, and had a huge old pair of boots to fill – his first show, which took place last night (July 9) in Paris picked up where John Galliano’s Brassai-influenced SS24 extravaganza left off. So, no pressure at all then, since much of the fashion crowd now call that one of the greatest shows in fashion memory. Did he manage to live up to the hype? Yeah, we think so. Here’s everything you need to know.

Maison Margiela shows have largely taken place at the house’s whitewashed HQ in recent times, but Martens ditched the space in favour of another space imbued with a lot of meaning, in the 19th arrondissement in the north of Paris. The reason? This former municipal morgue was transformed into a hub of culture and creativity, and became the home of Martin himself’s final Margiela show in 2009 before he stepped away from his namesake label. This time around, it took on the aura of a formerly grand mansion fallen on hard times – mazelike in its layout, guests were ushered between various different rooms, with each one plastered with signature photocopies of baroque coving and ornate candelabras. Lining the halls were rows and rows of mismatched wooden chairs, with the whole thing lit up by imposing fluorescent lights. 

Fashion week in recent years has turned into a total celebrity circus, as brands pay big bucks to get high profile bums on seats and in turn generate loads of social content and column inches, and honestly, as many would agree, it’s all gotten a bit much. Margiela was a much quieter affair than some of the shows, with Cardi B making a stealthy entrance in a cinched, aged trench and leather Tabi boot combo, and Gabbriette and her fiancé (Matty Healy if he must be named) snuggling up on the front row. Beyond that, it was all a bit more esoteric, with 90s grunge legend Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins mooching about before curtains up, causing many to double take and make a ‘Wait, was that…?’ comment to their mates. Also showing up to support Glenn was Martin’s longtime muse Kristina de Coninck, who walked regularly for the designer back in the 90s. But was Martin himself in the building? Who knows. We had our eyes firmly peeled, but didn’t spot him in the crowd.

Fashion fans got a little teaser as to what was to come tonight via a Vogue interview with Glenn published this week. The down-to-earth designer revealed he’d gotten the call telling him he secured the top spot at Margiela while pulled over at a motorway services Burger King, and explained that his first show for the house was going to be ‘loud’. More solidly, he also added that masks would feature heavily. A mainstay of the house from the very off, the face-obscuring accessory formed part of Martin’s debut show in 1989 and has been a consistent part of the house’s design lexicon for the last 35 years, whether reimagined by Matthieu Blazy, or John Galliano, and now Glenn Martens.

Symbolic of the house’s codes of anonymity, Martens explained that his intention was to shift the attention from the individual to the clothes themselves, with every single model shrouded by feathers, lace, buttons, crystals or tiny sharp shards of mirror. This was also where the engraved teaspoon invite came in – one silver mask appeared with a similar finish, crafted from hammered, heavy duty silver metal. 

And honestly, without getting too gushy, it felt like a match made in fashion heaven. Martens might be far more comfortable in the spotlight and more open than most designers when it comes to laying bare what he does, but you could feel how committed he was to honouring the codes of the house from the very moment the lights went up and the music kicked in.

Post-show, Martens explained how he wasn’t really interested in dressing mega rich people and preferred to explore different ways of making clothes precious, which meant, like Galliano before him, he and his team traipsed around Paris digging old clothes out of bargain bins ready to be transformed into Artisanal pieces in the atelier. First out of the gate was a see-through shower-curtain-like gown that seemed to pay homage to pieces like the Tabi sole sandal from SS96, which was strapped to the foot with rolls of see-through Sellotape, before pieced-together overcoats crafted from old leather bombers and blazers joined them. 

Another signature in the form of interior fabrics came through in tailored pieces, while heavy jersey in muted shades of stone and sand was twisted and manipulated to become striking evening gowns. It was raw and modern, and felt closer to the original source and what Margiela was all about after the wild theatrics of Galliano’s reign. The soundtrack helped with this – as the Spanish guitar that opened everything faded out, Smashing Pumpkins’ “Disarm” kicked in, with Billy Corgan’s presence on the frow suddenly making a lot more sense. 

The best of the rest included a massive knockout gold dress, which riffed on what Martens put out as guest couturier at Jean Paul Gaultier in 2022, diaphanous gowns covered in decaying autumnal florals, and a smattering of stonewashed denim looks. All in all it was a total feast, and after a lacklustre season across the board, everyone was hungry for it. 

It takes a village – or actually probably closer to a town – to bring a runway show to life. Beyond the lead designer and their studio team, there’s production, PR, VIP management, sound, lights, catering, and loads, loads more. As guests filed out of the showspace and up the stairs to celebrate with a glass of champagne, they were greeted by corridors and corridors of the people who worked on the show, all decked out in Margiela’s signature white coats. They clapped each other, we clapped for them, and it was truly a special moment – seeing people so proud of what they had achieved and happy at what had just happened was a reminder of the power of fashion to inspire and move. Hopefully it will be a regular occurrence under Martens watch – the codes of anonymity can stay, but let’s give the people that put in the hard work their moment in the spotlight.

As guests made their way upstairs they were confronted with a massive hall full of multicoloured balloons. With some questioning whether it was a not-to-be-touched art installation, members of the team started ushering people inside, where they ran about in the balloons, kicked them up in the air, and accidentally popped a few under their heels. It was playful and beautiful, a bit silly and so much fun, which in my opinion is the kind of stuff that Martens does so well – from his Janties and Uggs at Y/Project to his wild forays in denim at Diesel, Martens makes seriously good clothes but never gets sucked too far into the serious side of fashion. Long may that continue at Margiela.

Scroll through the gallery at the top of the page for the entire Artisanal 2025 collection

It’s a massive season for equally massive debuts, with Jonathan Anderson and Michael Rider just putting forward their opening statements at Dior and Celine respectively, and Louise Trotter and Matthieu Blazy’s big firsts at Bottega Veneta and Chanel some of the most anticipated shows of the coming womenswear season. The one that got people really excited, though, was Glenn Martens at Maison Margiela. 

The Belgian designer, who until recently was busy securing Y/Project’s place in the annals of avant-garde fashion history (RIP), was appointed creative director of Martin’s house in January, and had a huge old pair of boots to fill – his first show, which took place last night (July 9) in Paris picked up where John Galliano’s Brassai-influenced SS24 extravaganza left off. So, no pressure at all then, since much of the fashion crowd now call that one of the greatest shows in fashion memory. Did he manage to live up to the hype? Yeah, we think so. Here’s everything you need to know.

Maison Margiela shows have largely taken place at the house’s whitewashed HQ in recent times, but Martens ditched the space in favour of another space imbued with a lot of meaning, in the 19th arrondissement in the north of Paris. The reason? This former municipal morgue was transformed into a hub of culture and creativity, and became the home of Martin himself’s final Margiela show in 2009 before he stepped away from his namesake label. This time around, it took on the aura of a formerly grand mansion fallen on hard times – mazelike in its layout, guests were ushered between various different rooms, with each one plastered with signature photocopies of baroque coving and ornate candelabras. Lining the halls were rows and rows of mismatched wooden chairs, with the whole thing lit up by imposing fluorescent lights. 

Fashion week in recent years has turned into a total celebrity circus, as brands pay big bucks to get high profile bums on seats and in turn generate loads of social content and column inches, and honestly, as many would agree, it’s all gotten a bit much. Margiela was a much quieter affair than some of the shows, with Cardi B making a stealthy entrance in a cinched, aged trench and leather Tabi boot combo, and Gabbriette and her fiancé (Matty Healy if he must be named) snuggling up on the front row. Beyond that, it was all a bit more esoteric, with 90s grunge legend Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins mooching about before curtains up, causing many to double take and make a ‘Wait, was that…?’ comment to their mates. Also showing up to support Glenn was Martin’s longtime muse Kristina de Coninck, who walked regularly for the designer back in the 90s. But was Martin himself in the building? Who knows. We had our eyes firmly peeled, but didn’t spot him in the crowd.

Fashion fans got a little teaser as to what was to come tonight via a Vogue interview with Glenn published this week. The down-to-earth designer revealed he’d gotten the call telling him he secured the top spot at Margiela while pulled over at a motorway services Burger King, and explained that his first show for the house was going to be ‘loud’. More solidly, he also added that masks would feature heavily. A mainstay of the house from the very off, the face-obscuring accessory formed part of Martin’s debut show in 1989 and has been a consistent part of the house’s design lexicon for the last 35 years, whether reimagined by Matthieu Blazy, or John Galliano, and now Glenn Martens.

Symbolic of the house’s codes of anonymity, Martens explained that his intention was to shift the attention from the individual to the clothes themselves, with every single model shrouded by feathers, lace, buttons, crystals or tiny sharp shards of mirror. This was also where the engraved teaspoon invite came in – one silver mask appeared with a similar finish, crafted from hammered, heavy duty silver metal. 

And honestly, without getting too gushy, it felt like a match made in fashion heaven. Martens might be far more comfortable in the spotlight and more open than most designers when it comes to laying bare what he does, but you could feel how committed he was to honouring the codes of the house from the very moment the lights went up and the music kicked in.

Post-show, Martens explained how he wasn’t really interested in dressing mega rich people and preferred to explore different ways of making clothes precious, which meant, like Galliano before him, he and his team traipsed around Paris digging old clothes out of bargain bins ready to be transformed into Artisanal pieces in the atelier. First out of the gate was a see-through shower-curtain-like gown that seemed to pay homage to pieces like the Tabi sole sandal from SS96, which was strapped to the foot with rolls of see-through Sellotape, before pieced-together overcoats crafted from old leather bombers and blazers joined them. 

Another signature in the form of interior fabrics came through in tailored pieces, while heavy jersey in muted shades of stone and sand was twisted and manipulated to become striking evening gowns. It was raw and modern, and felt closer to the original source and what Margiela was all about after the wild theatrics of Galliano’s reign. The soundtrack helped with this – as the Spanish guitar that opened everything faded out, Smashing Pumpkins’ “Disarm” kicked in, with Billy Corgan’s presence on the frow suddenly making a lot more sense. 

The best of the rest included a massive knockout gold dress, which riffed on what Martens put out as guest couturier at Jean Paul Gaultier in 2022, diaphanous gowns covered in decaying autumnal florals, and a smattering of stonewashed denim looks. All in all it was a total feast, and after a lacklustre season across the board, everyone was hungry for it. 

It takes a village – or actually probably closer to a town – to bring a runway show to life. Beyond the lead designer and their studio team, there’s production, PR, VIP management, sound, lights, catering, and loads, loads more. As guests filed out of the showspace and up the stairs to celebrate with a glass of champagne, they were greeted by corridors and corridors of the people who worked on the show, all decked out in Margiela’s signature white coats. They clapped each other, we clapped for them, and it was truly a special moment – seeing people so proud of what they had achieved and happy at what had just happened was a reminder of the power of fashion to inspire and move. Hopefully it will be a regular occurrence under Martens watch – the codes of anonymity can stay, but let’s give the people that put in the hard work their moment in the spotlight.

As guests made their way upstairs they were confronted with a massive hall full of multicoloured balloons. With some questioning whether it was a not-to-be-touched art installation, members of the team started ushering people inside, where they ran about in the balloons, kicked them up in the air, and accidentally popped a few under their heels. It was playful and beautiful, a bit silly and so much fun, which in my opinion is the kind of stuff that Martens does so well – from his Janties and Uggs at Y/Project to his wild forays in denim at Diesel, Martens makes seriously good clothes but never gets sucked too far into the serious side of fashion. Long may that continue at Margiela.

Scroll through the gallery at the top of the page for the entire Artisanal 2025 collection