A so-called “conceptual” designer, Martin Margiela was focused on transforming objects (upcycling) and linking the present and the past as he had observed his mother doing with restored furniture. For his own line, he had famously resized vintage doll clothing to human proportions. At Hermès, the designer’s attachment to the past was less visually marked and more connected with tradition. Curator Kaat Debo notes an exception when she explains that the very dapper and practical-looking detachable saddle pockets shown for Spring 2000 were inspired by the removable pockets worn with 18th-century pannier gowns.
With its striped sweaters, espadrilles, and a classic-looking trench, this comfortable and contemporary collection had a subtle French inflection that was directed at the modern Parisienne, not latter-day Marie Antoinettes. In fact, although Margiela consistently eschewed the obvious markers of status associated with Hermès, he publicly nodded to the history of the house by including in his runway cast the style icon Jane Birkin, who gave her name to one of the house’s best-selling bags.
