Why is everyone talking about the 2012 Martin Margiela x H&M collab?

From Karl Lagerfeld to Versace, Marni and Comme des Garçons, these are just some of the names of the collaborations that H&M has launched over the years. The possibility of purchasing pieces that would normally be unapproachable for many is certainly one of the main reasons that has pushed these big brands to work with the Swedish fast fashion chain, as the need to make themselves known to a broader and more generalist audience than just niche insiders. In 2012, it was the turn of Maison Martin Margiela, which proposed a collection made up of some of its most representative ideas, re-edited in a decidedly affordable key, without, however, undermining the conceptual imprint that has always distinguished the Belgian designer.

What is striking is that more than ten years after the launch of that collection, when everyone seems to be focused on the announcement of H&M's upcoming collaboration with Mugler, which is particularly awaited given the electrifying hype that accompanies all of the French Maison's announcements - such as the recent launch of the new campaign for the Angel Elixir perfume starring Hunter Schafer or the most recent fashion show for the Fall Winter 2022-23 season, signed by creative director Casey Cadwallader, with epic moments such as the (staged) theft of a bag from the front rows by Arca who returned to the catwalk immediately afterwards - is the revamp on TikTok (the hashtag #maisonmargiela counts 317. 8 million views) and Vinted by young generations, who are rediscovering MMM's pieces with a collector's approach.

Gen Z knows how to make vintage fashion go viral: a glaring example of this is all the songs that, although belonging to several decades ago, are hummed by the very young, often without the knowledge of what they are listening to. If you think of the success of Lady Gaga's Bloody Mary, released in 2011 and used as a soundtrack for ballets to recreate the scene of Wednesday Addams at the dance, you will understand perfectly what we are talking about. Videos showcasing the most interesting pieces from the Maison Martin Margiela x H&M collection are steadily growing, as are reviews of fortuitous purchases of some of the coolest garments and accessories that still manage to be impressive today allowing, if one is lucky enough to find them, one to buy little treasures inspired by mythical designs, with the obvious quality distinctions. One among all is the white duvet-inspired puffer that was originally showcased in the Fall Winter 1999 collection and that is now selling online for more than ten thousand euros.

Looking online, there are many items from this collection still available, on sites such as Vestiaire Collective, Ebay, or Vinted, and many of them can still be purchased at affordable prices. This, however, does not apply to what were already the most sought-after proposals at the time of the launch, such as the now iconic leather belt jacket or even the jewelry (among the most popular on social media) recreating watches without a dial, just to give a few examples. But if you are willing to spend a little, without exaggerating, you can manage to have some rather unique accessories, such as the boots with a transparent plexiglass wedge or the clutches, reminiscent of metallic maxi-wraps, but also, moving on to clothing, the deconstructed biker jacket, the patchwork effect cardigan made of football scarves, the cape-hybrid circular shirt, or even the jeans with the folded waist - yes, it was Martin Margiela who invented them, like most of what you see on the most contemporary catwalks. In short: the result of careful research could lead to decidedly shrewd shopping, bringing a wider audience once again closer to the world of Martin Margiela and his conceptual fashion.