Martin Margiela has always done things differently. In the era of high-octane colour, power proportions and statement shapes that defined 1980s fashion, the Belgian designer emerged onto the scene with an altogether different proposition. His deconstructionist vision and references from across time and place paved the way for a new chic, and his radical interpretation of what a fashion show could be – from the abandoned metro station staging of S/S 1992 to a 1989 presentation played out to a front row of local Paris kids – laid the blueprint for show as public spectacle.
Margiela may have stepped away from his brand in 2009, but he’s still doing things differently. In July, more than 200 pieces from his personal archive will go to auction, organised in Paris by Maurice Auction, in collaboration with London’s Kerry Taylor Auctions. This is the first time a living creator has directly collaborated with an auction house to offer their personal archive of clothing and designs (spanning 1984 to 2008 and including select pieces from the wardrobe of his late mother, Léa Bouchet).
In honour of this unprecedented moment in fashion history, Wallpaper* spoke with Salomé Pirson of Maurice Auction and Kerry Taylor Auctions’ Alex Baddeley about what we can expect to see when the gavel strikes.
A new auction sees Martin Margiela’s personal archive go up for sale
A series of backstage Maison Martin Margiela images
Martin Margiela is famously enigmatic and withdrawn from public life – what do you think the objects on sale reveal about their former owner?
Alex Baddeley: It’s the sale itself, rather than what is in it, that I think makes the biggest statement – Martin has always exhibited his works in a really unusual, radical way, and it’s quite fascinating that, 17 years after leaving his own brand, he has the creative imagination to engage the wider world in doing something unprecedented. Choosing to open up his own archive in this way almost feels like a performance – one that could only be performed by Martin.
What kind of people do you anticipate will be drawn to this auction?
AB: No doubt that the majority of the most important pieces will go to museum collections, but the scale and range of objects we have is very broad, and the beauty of an auction is that, in a way, it’s quite democratic. For a brand that was as ego-less as Maison Martin Margiela – you know, with its blank label – it’s a perfect fit. There are tiny objects and curios, ephemera really, that will attract individual collectors who just want to take home a piece of his incredible legacy, as well as the big institutions.
‘The Veil’ 1988-2008
Are there any particular pieces you are especially excited by, and why?
Salomé Pirson: I love the Hermès pieces [Margiela was creative director of the house’s womenswear line from 1997-2003], which have an additional layer of meaning because they belonged to his mother, to whom he was very close, and who was an enormous source of support during his career. I think that wearing a complete look from Hermès by Martin Margiela makes you just about the most powerful woman ever! Hermès was a very special time for Martin, having access to such luxury materials and artisans, so the pieces from this time have great memories attached for him. And the Initiale Bag, which he designed in 2002! It’s very rare, and something I personally would love to wear.
AB: There are these original sketches from 1984 when the brand was just an idea, and you can see even then how well defined his vision was. In the context of the 1980s, and all the glitz and glam that defined the decade’s fashion, to be looking at pattern designs from turn-of-the-century workwear and turning them into something totally new – those sketches really give you an insight into what a creative force he always has been.
Maison Martin Margiela illustrations and swatches
Can you tell me anything about the process and experience of collaborating with Martin Margiela on this historic sale?
SP: Martin doesn’t use telephone or email, so this entire process, which has been more than a year in the making, has been done through real face-to-face conversation. And in fact, it’s more like a curatorial relationship than the usual role of an auctioneer. Martin encourages a much more artistic perspective. He’s been very particular about what he wants presented and how, but I think the thing he cares most about here is that everything will be really cherished.
I’d love to hear about what it means to you to be selected to host the auction.
AB: The whole experience has been very moving. Being so close to the work, you really get a sense of how much all of this means to him. Martin always wanted to be a fashion designer. He used to make miniature outfits for Barbie dolls that we have in the sale, and when you hold one in the palm of your hand, you can really understand the amount of care that went into things, like the tiny hand-painted silver Tabi boots. These objects are like holy relics of fashion; they’re part of a great mythology, which is a real dream for an auctioneer.
The auction takes place on 9 July 2026 at 2:00pm. An accompanying exhibition runs from 4–8 July, 2026 at 71 rue de la Fontaine au Roi, Paris 11th arrondissement.
Catalogue available mid-June on mauriceauction.com