Margiela and Identity Subversion

January 3, 2024

Margiela and Identity:

A look at the brand that is championed by anonymity yet has bolstered its popularity in a modern world obsessed with transparency.

Margiela’s fashion line challenges the conventional notions of celebrity culture prevalent in the fashion industry. Instead of putting the spotlight on himself as the designer, Margiela emphasized the collective effort of the team and kept his personal identity relatively concealed. This approach created a sense of mystery and intrigue around the brand, inviting the audience to focus on the clothing itself rather than the personality behind it. This is a man who chooses to be out of the spotlight and a brand that aesthitically prides itself in quality craftsmanship over novelty and hype. 

Martin Margiela 2001 staff photo.Empty chair left for Martin Margiela.

Service 2

With that being said there exists a clear juxtaposition between the brand ethos. Anonymity is an extension of Marting Margiela’s personality but the brand itself prioritizes upcycling, deconstruction, and transformation. All tenants that act directly opposes to the  In the early days of social media flexing I remember scammers and rappers wearing margiela future sneakers and zanotti’s on facebook and instagram.  Even today MM6, Margiela’s aptly named diffusion line has collaborated with Supreme one of the largest names in streetwear and pop culture. Has anonymity been commercialized and does that even matter anymore where hypervisibility is everything.