The events of Fashion Month have often been compared to a “circus”, with so many exhibitions of pageantry and so much glitz and glamour. Instead of getting swept up in the cacophony of Paris Fashion Week, Maison Martin Margiela quietly comments on the frenzied scene with a collection that cops looks from beneath the Big Top.
The ringmaster is present in masculine tailcoats; the performers in sequin-spangled corsets, gowns, and halter-necked crop tops. Yet, behind the scenes of Cirque du Margiela lies a presentation of exquisitely tailored menswear that steals every scene. To whit: the show begins with a gorgeous crimson pantsuit featuring a long-sleeved smocked tunic rather than a traditional blazer or jacket topper. There are languid toreador trousers, pinstriped tunics, seamless leather dusters, and classic trench coats. Maison Martin Margiela demonstrated a vested interest in vests – they were tunic-length and often decorated with intersecting shapes encircled with tiny crystal beading. The Maison also experimented with sleeves, showing bejeweled versions that were attached only with straps that encircled the shoulders. While Margiela’s signature deconstructionist elements were present in the more experimental looks, the theater of the bizarre takes a backseat to truly covetable menswear-inspired apparel for Spring/Summer 2014.
Photos: Courtesy of GoRunway
