Why have one show when you can have three? That seemed to be Margiela’s thought for Fall ’97, a show in which models were shuttled among three mini venues in the Place de la République via white buses. The collection featured new versions of the previous season’s dressmaker-form tops and even more explicit references to the materials and process of clothing construction. There were jackets made of pattern paper, visible basting stitches, and layered looks that were literally pinned together in parts. One-armed and asymmetric garments gave the impression they were half-finished. If wigs made from old fur coats (commissioned from Bless) were a bit outré, sleeveless coats and chunky knits never looked better.
