Margiela, les années Hermès

by Kaat Debo

- Updated edition on the occasion of an exhibition at the Mus�e des Arts D�coratifs in Paris, held from 22 March 2018 until 2 September 2018 - Includes extra images from an exhibition held in Antwerp, and new texts by Olivier Gabet and Ina Delcourt - A celebration of Martin Margiela's stunning body of work seldom examined during his time at the French luxury house, Herm�s - Published with the cooperation of the reclusive Margiela himself "Anybody who's aware of what life is in a contemporary world is influenced by Margiela." - Marc Jacobs. Martin Margiela, known for his avant-garde ideas and cult following, became the arbiter of all things classic French Chic. His ability to apply his unique design process to vastly different fashion houses is the hallmark of a great designer. This new edition of Margiela. The Herm�s Years has been published with the cooperation of the reclusive Margiela himself, including never-before-published photographs, drawings and testimonies.

Genres: Fashion, Nonfiction, Art, Design

258 pages, Hardcover

Published April 26, 2017

Reviews

[Brent Morales]

I am a huge fan of Martin Margiela. Many people over look his time at Hermès as overly commercial and boring design. Doing my own research I found it to be quite interesting so I decided to read this book and what a treat.

Going into detail of how he came up with the “concept”, or lack there of, of the collections was super interesting. I have a love hate relationship with the idea of luxury. Many times it is a very exclusive word that is harmful. It makes people feel insignificant and think it is something they cannot achieve. However, Martin took a more liberal approach. Making sought after items that would last a lifetime rather than a season.

Outstanding book and I hope to read it over and over again.

[Jasmine]

I did a study/project on Hermès for my third year Typography class.

It is really easy to choose a fashion house like Chanel or Louis Vuitton but a fashion house like Hermès has so much more complexity than what meets the eye.

This book explores Margiela's time as Creative Director for Hermès in the late 90s, early 2000s. The thought process behind his designs for the fashion house are immaculate: they are timeless and nonchalant. The words that were contributed to this book best describe how a woman should feel and how clothes should complement the wearer.

It was a beautiful read.

[Niki]

"Because it is pure simplicity, it is complicated, and that is the hardest thing to achieve."

My favourite fashion collections EVER. Reading about the history and thought progress behind the pieces just made me love it even more.

[Vincent Van]

A great takedown of the best era of an amazing designer by a fabulous writer. In this book, Kaat Debo proves why she is the director of MoMu in Antwerp.
I frequently use the pictures and their takedowns as inspiration during creative work.