History of Maison Margiela in Timeline

Maison Margiela is a French luxury fashion house founded in 1988, known for its deconstructive and avant-garde designs. The house produces haute couture-inspired artisanal lines, ready-to-wear collections, and various product lines including clothing, accessories, and fragrances. The brand is known for its unconventional show settings and obscuring models' faces. Martin Margiela resigned as creative director in 2009. John Galliano took over in 2014, and resigned in 2024. Glenn Martens succeeded him.

1930: Spring Summer 2024 Couture Presentation

The Spring Summer 2024 couture presentation drew inspiration from a 1930's aesthetic. The collection was inspired by the work of Hungarian-French photographer Brassaï, and focused on an aesthetic of the night-time underbelly of Paris with themes of corsetry, beadwork, and 1930's inspired silhouettes.

1979: Margiela Graduated Royal Academy of Antwerp

In 1979, Martin Margiela graduated from the Royal Academy of Antwerp.

1984: Margiela Became Jean Paul Gaultier’s Design Assistant

In 1984, Martin Margiela became Jean Paul Gaultier’s design assistant in Paris.

1987: Margiela Left Jean Paul Gaultier

In 1987, Martin Margiela left his role as design assistant for Jean Paul Gaultier.

1988: Maison Margiela Founded

In 1988, Maison Margiela, a French luxury fashion house, was founded by Belgian designer Martin Margiela and Jenny Meirens.

1988: Debut Womenswear Collection at Paris Fashion Week

In 1988, Maison Martin Margiela presented its debut womenswear collection at Paris Fashion Week for the Spring 1989 season.

1988: Debut Womenswear Collection

Maison Margiela's 1988 debut womenswear collection included a leather butcher's apron reworked into a seductive evening gown.

1989: Playground Collection

In 1989, Maison Margiela staged a collection on a playground in the outskirts of Paris, where local children interacted with the models. Critics disliked it, but the industry response was positive.

1989: Debut Womenswear Collection

In 1989, Maison Martin Margiela debuted its first womenswear collection at Paris Fashion Week.

1989: First Shown Tabi Boot

In 1989, the Tabi boot was first shown.

1992: Paris Metro Station Show

In spring 1992, Maison Margiela held a show in an abandoned Paris metro station. Models walked down staircases lined with candles, continuing the trend of using unusual locations.

1992: Introduced Tabi Boot

Introduced in 1992, the Tabi boot is an interpretation of the traditional split Japanese tabi sock which separates the large toe.

1993: Spring Collection with Celebrity Models and Brass Band

In the spring of 1993, Maison Margiela's show featured models such as Cecilia Chancellor and Kate Moss showcasing "minimalism paired with Victoriana." A separate show that year included models weaving among a brass band on the runway.

1994: Debut of First Period Pieces

In 1994, Maison Margiela debuted its first period pieces.

1994: Barbie-Inspired Collection

In 1994, Maison Margiela presented a collection based on an imagined full-size wardrobe for Barbie.

1995: Models Among the Audience Show

In 1995, Maison Margiela presented a show where models sat amongst the audience.

1997: Margiela oversaw creative direction of womenswear for Hermès

From 1997 Maison Martin Margiela oversaw creative direction of womenswear for the French design house Hermès.

1997: Launched MM6 Diffusion Line

In 1997, MM6, a diffusion line for the label, was launched.

1997: Bus Stop Collection

In 1997, Maison Margiela invited the fashion press to a street corner using a map, where models and a Belgian brass band showcased the newest collection after disembarking from a bus.

1998: Marionette Models

For two seasons in 1998, Maison Margiela used marionettes by Jane How instead of live models for its presentations.

1998: Debut of Menswear Collection

In 1998, Maison Margiela debuted a menswear collection, known as line 10.

2000: Martens Creative Director at Diesel

In 2000 Glenn Martens became creative director at Diesel.

2002: Acquisition by OTB Group

In 2002, Maison Martin Margiela was acquired by the OTB Group.

2003: End of creative direction of womenswear for Hermès

Until 2003 Maison Martin Margiela oversaw creative direction of womenswear for the French design house Hermès.

2003: Margiela ended being creative director for womenswear of Hermès

Until 2003 Martin Margiela was creative director for womenswear of the French design house Hermès.

December 2004: Moved to New Headquarters

In December 2004, Maison Martin Margiela moved into a new headquarters in an eighteenth-century convent in Paris.

May 2006: First Haute Couture Collection in Paris

In May 2006, Maison Martin Margiela was invited to show their first haute couture collection in Paris by The Chamber Syndicale.

2006: Debut of First Haute Couture Collection

In 2006, Maison Martin Margiela debuted its first haute couture collection.

September 2008: 20th Anniversary Show in Paris

In September 2008, Maison Margiela held its 20th anniversary show in Paris, featuring a walking birthday cake, an oom-pah band, and lab-coated assistants.

November 2008: Launched Jewelry and Eyewear Collection

In November 2008, Maison Margiela launched a small jewelry and eyewear collection including its first pair of sunglasses.

2008: Margiela Boutique Expansion

By the summer of 2008 there were 14 Margiela boutiques operating internationally.

2008: MoMu Retrospective

In 2008, The Fashion Museum Province of Antwerp (MoMu) held a retrospective on Maison Margiela's work.

2008: Margiela Dubbed Fashion's Invisible Man

In 2008, the New York Times called Martin Margiela "fashion's invisible man" due to his avoidance of the spotlight.

October 2009: Martin Margiela Resigned as Creative Director

In October 2009, Martin Margiela resigned as creative director of Maison Martin Margiela.

2009: First Fragrance Debuted

In 2009, Maison Margiela's first fragrance was created in collaboration with L’Oreal.

2009: Martin Margiela Resigned

In 2009, Martin Margiela resigned as creative designer of Maison Margiela.

2009: Opened Pop-Up Store

In late 2009 Maison Margiela opened a "pop-up store" at the Art Basel Miami Beach art fair.

2010: Store Expansion

By 2010, the number of standalone stores had grown to 17, with 21 "shop-in-shops" internationally.

2010: Expanded Homewares and Interior Design Business

In 2010, the company expanded its homewares and interior design business.

July 2011: Designed Hotel Suites for La Maison Champs-Élysées

In July 2011, Maison Martin Margiela designed several concept hotel suites for La Maison Champs-Élysées in Paris.

2012: Capsule Collection for H&M

In 2012, Maison Margiela debuted a capsule collection for H&M, consisting largely of reissued pieces from the Margiela archives.

April 2013: Martens took the helm of Y/Project

After Yohan Serfaty passed away in April 2013, his business partner Gilles Elalouf convinced Martens to take the helm of the label.

2013: Kanye West's Yeezus Tour Wardrobe

In 2013, Maison Margiela designed Kanye West’s tour wardrobe for his Yeezus tour.

2013: Collaboration with Swarovski

In 2013, the brand collaborated with Swarovski on ready-to-wear jewelry.

October 2014: John Galliano Appointed Creative Director

In October 2014, it was announced that John Galliano would take the position of creative director for Maison Margiela.

2014: Estimated Annual Revenues

By the fall of 2014, sources estimated that the brand generated about $126 million in annual revenues, with around 50 directly owned stores.

2014: John Galliano Appointed Creative Designer

In 2014, John Galliano was appointed as the creative designer of Maison Margiela.

2014: Spring Show

The spring show of 2014 "melded sweet, pioneer styles like floral house dresses with edgier fare like nude bodysuits and oversize Willy Wonka sunglasses.".

January 2015: Galliano's Debut Collection

In January 2015, John Galliano presented his debut collection for Maison Margiela.

2015: The Artist is Absent Film Release

In early 2015, Alison Chernick released "The Artist is Absent", a short biopic on Martin Margiela, launching it at the Tribeca Film Festival.

2015: Galliano's Debut Collections

In early 2015, Maison Margiela premiered its first two collections with Galliano as head designer, including an "artisanal" collection and another featuring neon accessories.

July 2016: July 2016 Show

The July 2016 show featured items such as military coats, a parachute dress, neon face paint, and 19th-century garments.

September 2016: Collaboration with Barneys New York

In September 2016, Maison Margiela partnered with Barneys New York for its fall windows on Madison Avenue, creating four vignettes to reflect the house's recent artisans and ready-to-wear collections.

October 2017: We Margiela Documentary Release

In October 2017, Menna Laura Meijer released "We Margiela", a documentary exploring the early days of the house, featuring interviews with the original team.

2017: Store Presence

As of 2017, Maison Margiela has stores in countries such as France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, the United States, and Thailand.

2017: Collaboration with Mackintosh

In 2017, Maison Margiela collaborated with outerwear maker Mackintosh to create exclusive trenchcoat designs.

2017: MoMu Showcase of Hermès Collections

In 2017, MoMu showcased the 12 collections the label had produced while Margiela was appointed by Jean-Louis Dumas to work with Hermès.

2018: Release of trenchcoat designs for Spring

In 2018, Maison Margiela released two exclusive trenchcoat designs for its spring men's wear collection.

2018: Mutiny Fragrance Launched

In 2018, the house's Mutiny fragrance was launched.

November 2019: Martin Margiela: In His Own Words Documentary Premiere

In November 2019, Reiner Holzemer premiered the documentary "Martin Margiela: In His Own Words", offering insight into the designer's withdrawal from the public eye.

2023: MM6 Shows Runway Collections

As of 2023, MM6 is still showing runway collections during Milan Fashion Week.

2024: John Galliano Resigned

In 2024, John Galliano resigned from Maison Margiela.

2024: Extended Replica Fragrance Collection

In 2024, Maison Margiela extended its Replica fragrance collection with vegetable garden notes.

2024: Spring Summer 2024 Couture Presentation

The Spring Summer 2024 couture presentation was praised by critics. The collection was inspired by the work of Hungarian-French photographer Brassaï, and focused on an aesthetic of the night-time underbelly of Paris with themes of corsetry, beadwork, and 1930's inspired silhouettes.