Maison Martin Margiela (1988-1998)
The role of space in Maison Martin Margiela’s practice is central, yet often left implicit in traditional fashion media. At the Maison’s 2008 retrospective at MoMu Antwerp, the second point of its dictionary-style brand definition already highlighted a taste for transgression and for shows in “unexpected locations.”
In my dissertation, I examine how Margiela’s shows from 1988 to 1998 positioned themselves as subversive, site-specific interventions that became part of Paris’s urban fabric. Drawing on archival sources and multidisciplinary theory, I explore how spaces such as abandoned metro stations, Salvation Army stores, and peripheral streets reframed what a fashion show could be.
Fashion studies meet architectural and urban theory here, supported by a custom-designed map that traces Margiela’s embeddedness within the city.
Supervised by Dr. Robin Wilson. MA Architectural History, the Bartlett, UCL, 2025.