In case you weren’t aware by now, with each Maison Margiela show comes an accompanying podcast, in which creative director John Galliano purrs his way through his inspirations, themes, and concepts for the season.
With each The Memory Of… release more OTT than the last, the designer brings to life his vision for the house through flamboyant descriptions of key pieces, as he drags adjectives and verbs out dramatically, rolls countless Rs, and regales those tuning in with stories of his staff and how various garments came to be. Not only is it fashion’s answer to ASMR, but more than that, it breaks down the wild concepts behind his collections and makes them digestible and easy to understand.
With the latest Margiela show taking place this morning in Paris, the opening moments of this season’s podcast saw Galliano outline a new collection for the label, which found its roots in Martin Margiela’s own Replica line. Sourcing pieces from second-hand stores and flea markets, the OG Margiela team would then painstakingly recreate them right down to the weave of the fabric and each item’s stitch count.
Taking this one step further as part of his AW20 offering, Galliano explained his ‘Recicla’ line (a neat portmanteau of ‘recycle’ and ‘replica’, FYI) would incorporate original garments into pieces that would actually go on sale, with tulle skirts slashed so flashes of charity shop procured cashmere sweaters could be seen, vintage jacket lapels stitched over chiffon tunics, and clashing cotton shirts ripped up and re-sewn anew.
“I feel we are all swimming in this rhythm of life that resounds with Recicla, which is really about recycling and upcycling, and the joy that comes with being able to sell those pieces among the rest of the collection thrills me,” he explains of the offering. “We came to the conclusion there are far too many clothes in the world!” Those living in Paris will likely be thrilled themselves when considering their charity shop donations might one day find their way into a Margiela collection.
With the wider offering continuing to explore and subvert the codes of ‘the bourgeoisie’, also on the line-up were a series of oversized coats and capes with signature deconstructed detailing, emulsion-dipped wide-brim hats, printed silk scarves, and various iterations of the Tabi, including the label’s collaborative Reebok Instapump Fury mash-up, first seen at last month’s Couture show.