Maison Martin Margiela

While most designers are looking for ways to cinch in the waist this season, at Maison Martin Margiela they were looking for ways to widen it—a lot. This expansion was also was worked into shoulders and wide-legged trousers, some worn with a chocolate-syrup latex blouse or leather T-shirt tucked into it. To this new identity, they added jewelry in the form of enlarged everyday objects: key rings, watch straps, paperclips and signet rings as wrist cuffs. But most interesting was the tailoring of a series of coats and jackets with enlarged sleeves that seemed to be dislocated like the limbs of a Hans Bellmer doll. Besides the usual neutral palette of black, white and gray, there were some beautiful moments of red in a coat and velvet skirt. Among the amusing padded gray sweatshirts were some less practical pieces such as hard paper raincoats and a single cable knit for a sweater. While it was good to see that the irony and wit of the house is still intact, and while I left feeling more hopeful about la Maison, there still permeated a subtle lack of originality concept and drama. 

• Posted Mar 06, 2010
• Comment
  Tweet