The timelessness of Martin Margiela will soon be auctioned off

On January 27th, a collection of over 300 pieces created by the great Martin Margiela himself between 1988 and 1994, when he was honing his skills in the fashion world, will be sold at auction. The collection, which will be auctioned during Fashion Week, belongs to Angela and Elena Picozzi, the daughters of Graziella Picozzi, an Italian stylist and great admirer of the Belgian designer's pieces. Among the items to be sold, there will be painted canvas jackets, cigarette-shouldered suits, transparent vinyl tops from the spring-summer 1990 collection, a "curtain" skirt from autumn-winter 1991 (expected to fetch between 2500 and 3500 euros, or 2600 to 3600 dollars), and priest's cassocks from autumn-winter 1992. The collection also includes pieces from the “!” project created in collaboration with Picozzi, which they worked on for four seasons before Margiela launched his eponymous brand. This will be the largest auction of Margiela's pieces ever organized, according to Kerry Taylor and Maurice Auction, the organizers of this event.

Through the items for sale, we will find a glimpse of the enigmatic Martin Margiela, the mysterious, almost mystical figure whose media appearances can be counted on one hand, reacting to a fashion industry that has become too commercialized and attempting to shift the focus to the pieces rather than the person behind them. This intent is reflected in his non-conformist design approach, creating pieces without labels, striving to distance himself as much as possible from the concept of branding and everything that comes with it. In 2008, he completely withdrew from the industry by selling his brand to the OTB group, headed by Italian Renzo Rosso. In his 20-year career, his sudden and radical disappearance from the fashion sector left behind historic pieces, such as the famous Tabi shoes, the porcelain vest from the 1989 Artisanal collection, and the duvet coat with removable sleeves. All of these items are iconic and equally rare, now elevated to the status of precious archival pieces. This characteristic makes this auction even more significant, one that should not be missed.

This will not be the first auction of rare Martin Margiela pieces. In 2019 and 2021, no fewer than 200 pieces from private collections were already sold in the same way. “We have always considered these objects an important part of fashion history that needed to be protected. The meeting between our mother Graziella and Martin Margiela was a pivotal moment for both of them,” said Angela Picozzi. “We have always considered these items a crucial part of fashion history that needed to be preserved. Over time, we realized how important it was for Martin’s talent and vision to be showcased, studied, told, and, why not, worn. That is why we are selling these pieces today. We believe the fashion world should be reintroduced to Margiela’s early aesthetics,” the two sisters explained in a statement. The auction will be handled by Kerry Taylor Auctions, based in London, in partnership with the French firm Maurice Auction, as they do twice a year for fashion and haute couture sales. In any case, this edition is already shaping up to be rich in priceless pieces, but also in emotions. So, mark your calendar for January 27th at 81 Boulevard Voltaire to discover some of the enigmatic Margiela’s secrets through his creations.