Radical Artistry by Maison Margiela, Paris Couture Fall/Winter 2025-26 | FashionTV | FTV

Step into a world where avant-garde artistry redefines couture! Maison Margiela unveiled its fall/winter 2025-2026 haute couture collection, marking the highly anticipated debut of Creative Director Glenn Martens for the artisanal line. Martens’ debut collection was a visceral and raw exploration, drawing inspiration from both the brand’s founders and his distinctive aesthetic. The collection paid respect to Martin Margiela’s enduring fascination with the mask, with all models wearing adorned masks that simultaneously highlighted the craftsmanship of the clothes and the imaginative dissonance for which Margiela is known. Twisted corsets, a nod to John Galliano’s impactful tenure, also featured prominently. Prints from 16th-century Flemish and Dutch painters, a nod to the shared nationality of Martens and Martin Margiela, were subtly peppered throughout. Leather tabliers embossed with gold leaf mimicked historical Flemish wallpapers, and crystal-encrusted masks referenced the period when Matthieu Blazy led the house’s Artisanal operation. The collection bravely incorporated elements like hoodies and denim, grounding the theatricality in something recognizably human. The show culminated in textural blooms resembling flowers, expanding beyond the human form into sculptural tulle creations that seemed to consume the body whole, echoing Dutch masters’ obsession with nature morte but transcending stillness.

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