part 1

martin margiela

Today, it’s difficult to imagine the seismic impact Martin Margiela’s collections had on us. His anti-fashion aesthetic came to define the ’90s, and his collections still inspire today’s designers.

We invited him to contribute to Purple and to participate in our exhibitions, including “June” in Paris in 1993 and “Winter of Love” at PS1 in New York in 1994. We shot his collections in every issue until 2009, when he surprised the world by exiting fashion. Martin resurfaced last year in the art world, presenting his first solo exhibition at Lafayette Anticipations in Paris — a theater of appearances spanning brilliant installations, sculptures, performances, and films.

For our anniversary issue, he created a new series of original collages.