It wouldn’t be a Margiela show if most of the runway looks were not seemingly missing half of themselves. Let’s take the ankle-length column skirt, for example. Here, the left side of the skirt had been cut away to leave just a sensual sliver of fabric covering one leg as piously as a nun, while leaving the other sinfully exposed. That same skirt came with the back pockets constructed like a pair of men’s tailored pants (button holes and all) plus an apron-like tie front. Confused? Don’t be. Ever since the brand's namesake designer Martin Margiela left his label, the company has been in the safe hands of a design team that knows how to dabble in its founder’s crazy creative pranks without losing practicality. Most of this collection was in fact decidedly wearable. There were patchwork jacquard jackets, wrap skirts and sharp men’s jackets. As for the nostalgic daisy motif that was printed onto sheer chiffons, painted onto sturdy leathers and pierced through the models’ ears — well, that only added a layer of sweetness to soften all of that traditionally hard Margiela tailoring.
Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
