Rather than chase trends or aim to create It pieces, as has been the case in seasons past, the new MM6 offering is pure Margiela. The ingenuity and wearability associated with Martin Margiela’s oeuvre came through this season, from his iconic Vareuse sweater, now in a cream waxed knit, to a replica of the iconic Margiela lab coat done in chartreuse velvet. Margiela’s flair for playing with two-dimensionality and three-dimensionality was the collection’s most major theme, with fronts and sides of garments telling very different stories. A red rib knit dress looks proper front on, but features a silver zip on each side that creates the armhole and allows the wearer to customize the look. Sweatshirt tops are slashed at the sides to create movement and a number of pieces have rectangular panels tacked on to their backs, which are styled in the lookbook like personal scrims. One of the more amusing notes was the abundance of DIY fashion. Tops made of Velcro allow the wearer to tack on all sorts of stuff. Jeans, bags, and boots are covered in white muslin that shoppers can cut away to reveal rich blue denim or shimmery purple leather. The red sock boots are literally that—a leather sock that is stuck with Velcro to a heeled pitch. Even the Japanese washer closures that reappear on blazers, vests, and as accessories require a certain do-it-yourself spirit.
Why the anonymous collective behind MM6 has chosen to dig into the brand archive and ditch the hype is anyone’s guess. The white lab–coated representatives that present the collection are strict about not being quoted. Maybe it’s that with the rest of fashion painstakingly recreating Martin Margiela’s work seam-for-seam, MM6 sought to reestablish itself as the true owner of Margielaisms. Whatever the cause, this return to heritage is a smart direction for MM6.
