adminMartin Margiela retired from the runway in 2009 and has only recently re-emerged in the public eye with a planned fine art installation exhibition. The Belgian born designer’s upcoming exhibition is set to take place in 2021 at the Lafayette Anticipations gallery in Paris from 15th April to 25th July.
The focus at the exhibition is not exclusively on fashion or clothing as it lays a heavy emphasis on multi-disciplinary design. The exhibition is simply called, Martin Margiela, hinting to the purpose of the show being a show case of the designer’s core and essence. The exhibit includes previously-unseen, rare photographs, sculptures, and other artistic pieces by Margiela.
In a statement published by the Guardian, Lafayette Anticipations gallery laid emphasis that the purpose of the exhibit was to highlight Martin Margiela as a designer. “This exhibition celebrates the idea that Martin Margiela has always been an artist, whose work has played out since, within and outside the art world,” the gallery said in a statement; “[Margiela] has always made us look at things with fresh eyes. Going against the grain he cultivated an obsession for discreet people, abandoned objects and forgotten places and events, bestowing on them a new dignity.”
Martin Margiela graduated in 1979 from Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts and worked for Jean Paul Gaultier from 1984 to 1987 before launching Maison Margiela. With the creation of the company, the icon created clothing designs that were postmodern and anti-fashion. One of the trademark items that Margiela created was the “wig jacket”. This proved to be one of many high-fashion, post-modern designs that Margiela became renown for. He is also in many ways considered to have revolutionized deconstructionalism with a DIY spin.
Lafayette Anticipations gallery is known for showcasing avantgarde work in Paris. Hence the gallery is a perfect fit for Margiela’s triumphant return. Follow Lafayette Anticipations gallery at @lafayetteanticipations on Instagram.