ip design

Designer collaborations at H&M are one of the most anticipated events of the season. Now it’s the turn of super-elusive fashion house Maison Martin Margiela. GQ gets the heads up from a Maison insider…

Are you excited about bringing Maison Martin Margiela to a different customer?

It’s a pleasure to present these re-editions of Maison Martin Margiela to a new audience, to those who were too young to buy the original pieces and those who didn’t have access to Maison Martin Margiela before the days of internet shopping. Put more simply, our designs will now be available to those who can’t afford our mainline collection. With this collaboration, some of our most iconic archive pieces can become modern classics.

What can we expect from the collection?

The collection is a series of re-editions, featuring Maison Martin Margiela garments from various seasons since menswear was introduced in 1998. Each garment will be labelled detailing the year and season of origin. The re-editions have been selected not only because of their importance in the history of the Maison, but so the H&M collection will comprise a full wardrobe for men. There are re-editions of coats, suits, denim, shirts, sweaters, shoes and accessories.

Are you excited to be presenting your designs to a broader audience?

We believe in democracy. We do not believe in exclusivity in the typical fashion way. Take examples such as our sock sweater, which was made from several pairs of everyday socks, or our fashion shows, which have been held in a vacant field and a Parisian Métro station. Of course, some of our garments are produced in limited numbers out of necessity, either because of the scarcity of materials or the technical difficulty in making the piece. But by offering our concepts and designs to such a wide audience with this collaboration, we hope that more people are able to share in our creative expression.

How will it differ from the main line?

Our main men’s line focuses on construction, detailing and the function and utility of a garment. It is a progressive line that changes every season. These re-editions with H&M will only occur once.

Were there any advantages or limitations in the process?

Every process has advantages and limitations. We enjoyed selecting the pieces from our archives for these re-editions, and working closely with H&M on how to make the re-editions as accurate as possible.

The Margiela name has been built on the reconstruction of vintage or everyday items. How will this signature translate to a broader audience?

It will translate entirely. In the men’s collection there is a re-edition of the supporters’ scarves sweater, originally shown in the spring/summer 2005 collection. This sweater was originally made entirely from football scarves. The re-edition will also be made from football scarves. It is not a version. It is a re-edition.

Maison Martin Margiela for H&M is available from 15 November. From £19.99. hm.com

via gq-magazine