Instead of a show, Margiela brings a documentary to Fashion Week

Years later, Maison Margiela continues to stand out from the rest of the fashion industry for its counter-current approach. This time, instead of organizing a show or a presentation on the Paris Fashion Week calendar like everyone else, the brand opted for the premiere of a documentary dedicated to the “making of” the couture collection that went viral last January, the Maison Margiela 2024 Artisanal Collection. The documentary, Nighthawk, was conceived by creative director John Galliano and directed by Sasha Kasiuhache, and retraces the most important moments of the creation and staging of the collection. Featuring Kim Kardashian, Gwendoline Christie, “Auntie”, Lucky Love, and Monica Bellucci, the film takes a horror turn starting from the poster, a graphic inspired by 1980s film posters like Dressed to Kill (1980).

Nighthawk was broadcasted live on Instagram, YouTube, and on Maison Margiela’s website, though for now only the trailer is available on the brand's main platforms. The project enters the ateliers where Galliano works alongside the maison’s tailoring team during the production of the collection that has captivated the fashion industry, exploring the designer's main inspirations, the details he focused on, and even how some of the elements for the porcelain doll outfits in the show were created. Among fittings with Galliano’s muse, Leon Dame, close-ups of the couturiers' hands at work, and footage showing the creation of the makeup by Pat McGrath, the documentary reveals some of the most interesting secrets of the collection as well as the creative process of one of the most controversial yet appreciated designers of all time.

2024 is coming to a close as a monumental year for Galliano, who has experienced a great media comeback since the presentation of the Maison Margiela 2024 Artisanal Collection, following the scandal that exiled him from the fashion industry in 2011. Last May’s Met Gala could have been dedicated to him, according to Anna Wintour and the museum's head curator Andrew Bolton, but neither felt ready for the possible controversies the idea would have sparked among the public. Meanwhile, in March, High & Low - John Galliano, a documentary that tells the story of the designer’s downfall and resurgence, was released. After achieving timeless success leading renowned maisons like Dior, Galliano found himself abandoned by the entire industry after making anti-Semitic remarks in a Parisian bar during a low point in his life. Judging by the success of the January couture collection, the documentary High & Low, and most likely the new film Nighthawk, it seems that Margiela and Galliano are slowly distancing themselves from the conventional Fashion Week ready-to-wear scene to immerse in a more artistic, conceptual, and therefore more detached universe.