Mentor: Maison Martin Margiela

Mask Bolaro Source: Maison Martin Margiela Artisanal Spring / Summer 2009
<http://www.maisonmartinmargiela.com/en/collections/PE2009/collection-1.html>

I am inspired by Maison Martin Margiela’s experimental but eminently wearable clothing, because it provides me with proof that creative and commercial success can co-exist in fashion. And while the fashion house doesn’t produce Haute Couture in a traditional sense, it does go about the production of clothing in a very artisanal way. The refashioned second-hand pieces are particularly interesting to me because they redefine luxury as an appreciation of expertise rather than expensive material. As a student, I often feel constrained by cost concerns so it is refreshing to see that so much can be created with so little material outlay. Also admirable is that all of this investigation is achieved without straying from the brand aesthetic.