Maison Margiela: Fall 1997 Ready-to-Wear

Maison Margiela Fall 1997 Ready-to-Wear collection

Maison Margiela's Fall 1997 show was spread out in Place de la Republique across three micro-venues, where the designer's fascination with reconstruction and raw fabrics is evident in Margiela's most lusted-after pieces at the time would be elaborated upon. More unconventional ways of styling were applied to the looks of the collection, turning blazers inside out and openly displaying marked fabric, and integrating toiles as one with the garment. Many of the collection's pieces were repositioned and affixed to where it didn't belong: the fronts and backs of skirt pieces and wool sweaters were to be pinned onto the bustline of jackets, and cardigans and T-shirts transformed into innovative dress silhouettes.

General Background

The French legacy brand of Maison Margiela, founded by Martin Margiela is one that revolutionized the system of fashion all whilst maintaining its technical vigor. A new name to emerge in the 1980s, Margiela established its distinct identity through multiple divergences, but utmostly with a simple white label which was rid of intrusive logos which populated 90's fashion brands. A common thread in the history of Maison Margiela is seen through its commitment to reusing and the art of the unfinished; prominent examples consist of cutting up the fabric on the runway imprinted with the model's footprints and repurposing it for their second collection, transforming discarded stage costumes into sartorial poetry in Spring-Summer 1993 and expanding the 1997 Spring-Summer collection upon one item that is the Stockman dress form worn as a stiff jacket. (Information via 'Martin Margiela: The Women's Collections 1989-2009')

Research (Part 1)

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