Maison Margiela Artisanal Haute Couture collection 2024

The Paris Couture Week 2024 showed us how light, new, and rapid-fire fashion industry can be. The gentle ballet-core Chanel Couture Spring-summer 2024 collection, the refreshing dialogue between past and future at Schiaparelli Haute Couture Spring-summer 2024 show, pleasing and new Jean Paul Gaultier by Simone Rocha Couture Spring 2024 collection gave us an insight into what the modern fashion industry has to offer. With a fresh understanding of what inspired the designers and creative directors of the fashion Houses, as ironic as it may sound, we were all waiting for the closing of Paris Couture Week to immerse ourselves in the breathtaking world of Maison Margiela.

With each year of John Galliano's divine work at Maison Margiela as creative director since 2014, his vision of the brand's history deepens, and the shows and pieces only get better and gain more meaning and ovations from the show guests. Theater, performances, emotions are what Galliano always liked and inspired and this actively explains why we saw a great-made performance at the show.

As we look deeply at the location, decorations and, of course, the unforgettable looks: everything naturally yells that it is the start of last decade that was the main theme of the show and looks especially. There wasn't a single face on the model that didn't resemble vintage celluloid dolls that didn't even try to be real, because the authenticity was personified by the artistry of the show and its guest: Kylie Jenner in a gray sequined dress that balances between the image of a harness and the image of a fish. To complete the look and give it elegance and passion, Kylie added transparent gloves; Christian Louboutin in a checkered smart suit, which he teamed with a whimsical scarf carefully draped around his neck, wrapped in a sophisticated black coat.The harmony and the whole idea of Galliano's show were complemented by the guests themselves, who became part of an unforgettable and spectacular performance. From the brightness and versatility of Kim Kardashian to the depth of beauty of Ella Richards: all the guests of the inexhaustibly inspiring and revolutionary show, imbued with the deep ideology of Galliano, were dressed in Maison Margiela, which is another factor of the influence of the fashion House on the world of fashion, culture and art.

Under the light of the full moon and the dim lights of Paris at night, it was difficult to distinguish the faces of the models from the old dolls: The faces of the models were as if covered with wax: the outstanding make-up artist Pat McGrath worked on the unspoken beauty of the models' makeup. The same charmer who covered Doja Cat's body in Swarovski crystals for the Schiaparelli couture show. The effect of porcelain, reminiscent of the silhouette of old celluloid dolls, Pat McGrath created with the help of a mask, which could be removed with a light and smooth movement. Every part of the face seemed to scream that it was part of the face of an old porcelain doll which Galliano and Pat are genius for. Galliano’s models were the definition of 1910-1930’s  Parisians, broken glasses on the tables, draped tulle dresses, dark lights, imaginative hair, wild night city, dark lights- 1910-1930’s Parisian life and truly genius Galliano’s touch can be read from anything at the Maison Margiela Artisanal 2024 show. 

Tight corseted waists, Margiela’s shapes and ‘porcelain’ make-up did not affect the sense of realism of Gallianos models body, as they  found harmony with body hair, for which Galliano's decision is regarded as eternally rebellious and daring. He found rigor and wildness in the smoothness of forms and movements. The seriousness conveyed in the colors and signs of the Maison Margiela, embodied in the forms, once again assured us of the genius and extraordinaryness of John Galliano. Galliano was inspired, among other things, by the works of the French-Hungarian photographer, sculptor and writer Jules Halas, known as Brassai. In 1932, he released the documentary album "Night Paris", which brought him popularity. Turning to the life of people at the "social bottom", he depicted the atmosphere of Parisian bars and cabarets, deserted dark streets, sleeping under a bridge, the light of street lamps, women of easy behavior who were cold to go out of bars into the night city. 

 It is impossible not to notice that this collection is a great interpretation of the 2000 collection. Silhouettes, energy, materials and philosophy see each other as if in a mirror. On the runway show we could also notice the new pieces that Galliano thought it necessary to show us: unexpected collaboration of Maison Margiela and Christian Louboutin. Yes, those were tabi- louboutins. 

This collection is an axiom that proves that art can be created from an imaginary image in the mind, scraps of fabric, broken objects and bizarre silhouettes that no one else could ever transform into art better than Galliano did. He is the only one who has held the position of creative director of the House of Maison Margiela for such a long time, because he proportionally and very subtly understands the philosophy of the brand and has an impressively accurate vision of Martin Margiela's aesthetics. 

This outstanding collection has already left a mark on the modern fashion world that will remain with him forever.

Text: Maksym Tymofeiev

Images: Maison Margiela