Maison Martin Margiela
Interview Magazine, September 2008
“Martin Margiela decided not to appear in the public eye. He wants the light not to be on him but on what really matters — the clothes, the philosophy, the Maison, the team. And now it’s become the landmark of the Maison. But what some consider a marketing strategy and a sort of snobbism is more like a sacrifice: He could have all eyes on him, and the glory and the fame. But instead he decided to step away, to let the garments and the Maison speak for him, for his love of what he does, and for the respect he has for his team. If people are touched and like to wear what we propose, then they are free to buy and wear it. What Martin Margiela looks like has, for us, little or nothing to do with this process. We prefer that people react to a garment through their taste and own personal style and not their impression of the individual or group who created it, as translated and hyped by the press. Unlike actors or singers, we do not need his physical form to express our work. The Maison Martin Margiela should exist independently of who he is, what he looks like, and any answer he, as an individual and member of a team, may have to any question not directly linked to the clothes.” - The Maison
