What distinguished this show, besides the face masks, was Margiela’s use of color. Hot pink, garnet, and lavender mingled with navy and black in a lineup that included everything from a floor-length crushed velvet dress to a petit écolier–style cape to mechanics’ jumpsuits. Many looks were tied with hair-trimmed belts. Depending on one’s perspective, the overall effect was either an edgy street vibe or what The New York Times called a “Salvation Army mood.”
A waltz played as models walked amid the audience in bleachers set up in a circus tent in the Bois de Boulogne. The finale featured unmasked models—and balloons. Cheery, celebratory, childlike touches, including not just balloons but also sparklers and star-topped wands, were as essential to the house’s point of view as the designer’s anonymity and his assistants’ white lab coats.
