The news that Martin Margiela would break his 30 year silence in an upcoming documentary broke in 2018 and left fashion fans gagging for more information.
Now, almost two years on, the film Martin Margiela: In His Own Words finally has a trailer, after it premiered in New York at the Doc NYC Film Festival last year.
The film, directed by Reiner Holzemer – who also brought us the Dries Van Noten documentary – follows the life and work of one of fashion’s biggest enigmas, as the designer opens up about his inspirations, founding his eponymous brand, and why he decided to leave it behind in 2009.
If you were hoping Margiela might actually appear in the film, however, you’ll be disappointed to know that he lets his hands (and, as ever, his work) do the talking throughout. “I don’t like the idea of being a celebrity. Anonymity is very important,” he explains.
Going on to discuss how his desire to remain in the shadows increased the more successful he got, the clip also features contributions from Margiela’s former mentor, Jean Paul Gaultier, who asks the question: “Who will get him to emerge from his shell?”
Throughout the rest of the clip, we also see some of Margiela’s most iconic collections. From his sheer face masks, which were a consistent feature throughout his three-decade-long career, to his iconic SS09 wig coats, and the SS06 show in which models wore jewellery made from coloured ice which then melted onto their plain white clothes. Oh, and not to forget: we see a lot of Tabi boots.
Produced by Dogwoof and with music by dEUS, Martin Margiela: In His Own Words still does not have an official international release date. While you wait for that to come, though, you can watch the trailer for the film below.
