In addition to attitude, it is also important to figure out the scope and function of the code that will shape his clothes as Maison Margiela, a creatively complex equation for Martens. The first and most basic part is related to the work of Martin Margiela himself. Because as Martens puts it, “The reason behind home success is their founding values and code, so that’s what you need to respect as a new creative director. What’s really beautiful is having them and bringing them into the world in new ways.”
He continued that part of the specific challenge with Maison Margiela is the influence of the founder in all fashion. “I am one of the children of the Magira generation. And I think Martin is not just a designer, he is a school that has changed a lot of people’s minds…The Japanese are kind of like, but I think in Europe, Martin is Martin making the change, the idea that clothing doesn’t have to follow the classic structure. It tries to find a different way to see beauty, to see architecture and to see fashion throughout. Since then, this has been a design spirit for many designers, some of which are more direct and some of which are less. I’ve always been a person, and I think it’s clear that he’s always following this way of thinking. ”
This leads to originality, ownership and identity issues. Martens laughed again as he delved into the sometimes creative nature of Margielian World. “When I got here, I asked my stylist to bring out all of Martin’s archival works. Because I always only saw them in books. Finally seeing the real objects, I was very disappointed with myself. I was like: ‘My God, I just copied everything before me Yes/Project! ‘”
If Margiela’s influence was unconsciously saturated, and Martens’s own 13-year output was saturated by Margiela’s influence, some took a more premeditated approach to incorporating the creative canon of his new house. He said: “Margiela has always been a source of many designers and brands, some more literally than others. I like the creation of the DNA of this house, but there is definitely a lot of DNA being completely plundered: literally plunderwhich is the best word… Recycling some of these elements and trying to retake them with grace and find your own way of working is what I want to do. ”
Another factor Martens has to calculate is that John Galliano made a huge contribution to the house, who served as Creative Director from October 2014 to December 11, 2024. Galliano came to Margiela three years after Christian Dior’s 13 years, where he created some of the most palatial and narrative fashion shows. His work at Maison Margiela appropriately reflects his unique expression of that mainstream French luxury house.
Martens hinted that this provided him with a unique way forward as he drew the way forward. “I think the world was a little more niche in Martin’s time. Luxury is more of an exclusiveness through independent thinking. Now, it’s also about craftsmanship and tailoring: John brought it into it, and we need to keep building it because it’s part of the development of this house.”
