Maison Martin Margiela repeatedly dismantled the accepted rules of the runway during the 1990s. In 1993, models walked among a brass band rather than through a conventional theatrical set. A 1994 collection imagined what Barbie's wardrobe might look like if enlarged to human scale, turning a mass-market doll's hyper-feminine fantasy into an avant-garde fashion proposition. In 1995, models sat among the audience, reversing the usual separation between performer and spectator; on another occasion, models were wheeled out on trolleys. The house even challenged fashion's social ranking system by requiring editors and buyers to seat themselves according to their perceived importance. For two seasons in 1998, Margiela went further and presented collections without live models: one show used marionettes created by artist Jane How. These stunts were not merely theatrical eccentricities. They were part of Margiela's sustained refusal of fashion celebrity culture, designed to make the clothes—and the artificial machinery surrounding their display—more visible than the bodies and personalities traditionally used to sell them.
Preparing the daily feature…
AI concept artworkArchive Record · 1990s
Marionettes, Trolleys, and the Fashion Show Without Models
Maison Martin Margiela / 1990s
Maison Martin Margiela repeatedly dismantled the accepted rules of the runway during the 1990s. In 1993, models walked among a brass band rather than through a conventional theatrical set. A 1994 collection imagined what Barbie's wardrobe might look like if enlarged to human scale, turning a mass-market doll's hyper-feminine fantasy into an avant-garde fashion proposition. In 1995, models sat among the audience, reversing the usual separation between performer and spectator; on another occasion, models were wheeled out on trolleys. The house even challenged fashion's social ranking system by requiring editors and buyers to seat themselves according to their perceived importance. For two seasons in 1998, Margiela went further and presented collections without live models: one show used marionettes created by artist Jane How. These stunts were not merely theatrical eccentricities. They were part of Margiela's sustained refusal of fashion celebrity culture, designed to make the clothes—and the artificial machinery surrounding their display—more visible than the bodies and personalities traditionally used to sell them.
The daily editorial is currently unavailable. There’s still an entire archive to explore.