Maison Martin Margiela … is less definitely more?

I decided that I'd start with a somewhat editorial piece... one I guess could eventually go into a magazine, so kindly bear with the very impersonal feel of this. Fashion has always meant a lot to me. The sight of Louis Vuitton garments on the catwalk is extremely orgasmic. I shamelessly covet the worst seats in Fashion Week as elitist Parisians, Londoners and NewYorkers watch the 'laborious sleepless nights' excellently demonstrated in the form of beautiful garments on wiry hangers the world has labelled 'zero'.

This month Maison Martin Margiela celebrates 20 years in the fashion industry...
Margiela is an enigma… commonly referred to as ‘the insiders’ label in certain circles, at some stage he was rumoured not to actually exist… a myth!
The Belgian born designer studied at Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Arts; which proudly lays claims to industry giants; Ann Demeulmeester and Dries Van Noten.
In 1984 he became assistant to Jean Paul Gautier for a few years, going on to open up his own line in 1988, where I guess for him was the perfect excuse to demonstrate his controversial idea of fashion.
Margiela stormed the fashion scene with weird jackets that had seams on the outside, a cobwebbier spin of loose threads and long sack like skirts. It wasn't long before the fashion world labelled him ‘deconstructionist’ as he became known for creating his pieces from flea market rejects.
I guess the industry was in for a greater shock when they realised that this ‘mass of contradictions’ was nowhere near done just yet. He went on to show his none conventional collection in non conventional locations. Elle puts it this way:

‘Margiela, a pioneer not just of conceptual clothes but of conceptual show venues, was dragging fashion editors to rubble strewn wasteland in the dead of the night long before any London designer with an avant-garde sensibility thought to do so’.

Some of his even more unique venues are train carriages and dining room tables in a dilapidated warehouse.
I assume nothing else Margiela did could possibly come as a surprise to the industry, but this Belgian was not going to succumb to standards raised by mere men, no Margiela had his own ideas, as he began to show off his clothes on ‘real women’. The concept behind that was simple. He didn’t feel he needed ‘size zero models’ to wear his clothes, insisting that his pieces were beautiful on any woman.

For me the most intriguing characteristic is that Margiela never faces the public, all interviews are done by fax and his studio team wear ‘ateliers’ (white lab coat type garments) to ensure uniformity at events. I obsessesed for hours wondering how one that dwells in such a visual world has never been photographed or interviewed face to face, how has he never walked the catwalk, yet his work has inspired fellow fashion minds like Lagerfeld and McQueen (consistently photographed with exquisite models).

Margiela went on to own the highly coveted position, chief designer of Hermes women’s line, where he presumably delivered his best work, showing his immense talent for engineering elegant, delicate and simply gorgeous pieces.
He went on to sell a major stake in his business to ‘denim mogul’, Renzo Rosso’, multi millionaire owner of Diesel. The headlines must have read ‘mysterious fashion designer turns shrewd businessman’.
It all sounds very dark and cult like. The intense mystery that surrounds Margiela only makes him more interesting. Do people really crave what they cannot have?
After reading a four page article in Elle, I was left with more questions than answers. ‘Did Margiela even exist?’ In 20 years no media house, has ever been granted a face to face interview with this epitome of talent, hugely admired across borders.
The one thought that did cross my mind was that 'he' could well be a ‘Martina Margiela’; yes a woman… . I had no idea.

It is safe to conclude that in the world of fashion ‘invisible is clearly more’. Margiela remains unseen.
Maison Martin Margiela embraces extremely strong values and principles such as ‘honesty’ and ‘equality’. His craft is seen in almost every facet of his expression of creativity. His garments are worn by women of style the world over; Sarah Jessica Parker, Roisin Murphy, Rachel Bilson, Asia Argento, to mention a few.
I on the other hand would remember Martin Margiela or Maison Martin Margiela for his depth and the words:

‘The ideal woman is herself and that’s what matters most, a woman who wears the clothes, and not the other way around’.