Martin Margiela talks about his creativity, work ethic, and turning points in his life. A documentary film on the maverick of the fashion world is now on view.

Martin Margiela is a designer who has overturned the conventions of modern fashion and captivated clothing lovers with his unique methodology. Not only his one-of-a-kind approach to craftsmanship, but also his enigmatic and mysterious nature, in which he never appears in public, has contributed to the growth of his enthusiastic fan base.

The documentary film "Martin Margiela" is now on view. The highlight of the film is that Margiela himself talks about his career and creations.

The influence of her grandmother, a dressmaker, her time as Jean-Paul Gaultier's assistant, the runway shows where she covered models' faces, her signature Tabibi boots, her appointment as a designer for Hermes, the takeover by the OTB group, and her retirement in 2008, were all turning points in her life. The exhibition also includes design sketches, notes In addition, the book also introduces some of his personal items, such as design sketches and notes, the first outfit he made by himself, and his Barbie doll collection.

Drawing by Margiela himself

Margiela's Atelier

Design drawings and fabric samples by Margiela

The first clothes I made when I was a child . It already looks like Margiela," he says.

The film is interspersed with interviews with Gaultier, Carla Sozzani (founder of Dieti Corso Como), Olivier Saillard (fashion historian), and others in the fashion industry who have had contact with him, giving us an unveiled portrait of this man.

The film was directed by Rainer Holzemer . For those who don't know, he is the director of the 2016 film "Dries Van Noten: The Man Who Loved Fabrics and Flowers". This time, planned after the success of his previous film, he says it was still not easy to make a documentary about Margiela.

. "Martin Margiela's name was at the top of my list of candidates, but I assumed that dragging him in front of the camera would be impossible by any stretch of the imagination. But for a combination of reasons and circumstances, the impossible became possible: as soon as I met him for the first time in Paris in February 2018, we decided to embark on this foolhardy adventure together. The fact that at the time we were preparing a Martin Margiela retrospective (Margiela / Galliera 1989-2009) pushed us together" (from the press release).

Six months after sending an e-mail to the curator of the retrospective, Margiela himself finally replied and the film was set in motion. The final footage shot was 200 hours long.

Looking back, documentaries focusing on fashion designers include Wim Wenders' "Video Notes on Cities and Mode" featuring Yohji Yamamoto, "Dior and Me" featuring Raf Simons, and "McQueen: Rebel of Mode" about the life of Alexander McQueen. ." and others, but this film will undoubtedly be one of the most important for posterity.

. 90 minutes of moving mode history. The attitude and strong personality left behind by Margiela may be one of the reasons to think about the state of fashion today.