Let The Little Children Come
In the fall of 1989 Martin Margiela found himself in the 20th arrondissement of Paris. A ran down, poor, neglected district of the city. This was in great contrast to the rest of Paris Fashion week, which took place in the 1st arrondissement. The heart of Paris it was all glitz and glamour, luxury, beauty and wealth. It was all fake. It was all a fantasy.
Ever the contrarian, Margiela found himself straying further and further from this center. Both geographically and figuratively, Margiela began to distance himself from the establishment. His first show was in the 3rd arrondissement and his second show the 10th. In addition to the physical distance, he conceptually created space between himself and the rest of fashion week. Creating designs that promote real life, worn clothing, and process. Perhaps there is no greater example than his SS90 show.
Months prior to the presentation, Margiela approached some kids playing on a playground in the 20th arrondissement. He told them he was a designer looking for a runway location and wondered if they could help him. So they toured the neighborhood, the famed designer at the will of the child guides. Eventually they settled on a spot and preparations were made for the show.
These preparations included handmade invitations drawn by the kids who attended nearby schools. On the day of the show, nearly all of the 500 invitations made were accepted, and the venue/playground was packed and crowded. With no assigned seating and a plethora of kids already there (as it was their playground to begin with) it could have quickly deteriorated into chaos. Except for a single Maison employee who stood up and yelled to the crowd “please everybody let the kids come to the front!” And let the kids come they did.
This created a beautiful real life moment in which these kids with no perceptions of fashion or the highbrow references were given front row access to engage with it. And as the show progressed, the kids joined in. Leaping up from their seats in the dirt of the runway, they walked alongside the models. One child even being lifted onto the shoulders of a model as she walked the runway.
Margiela recognized that he was, in fact, the interrupting party, a guest in the home of children. And this is the paradigm shift the designer (as well as his young collaborators) ushered in. A celebration of real life. Fashion was taken off of this high and mighty pedestal and brought into the lived in world, where things are worn, models don’t have perfect hair, and everyone is given a seat at the table.
Photos: Jean-Claude Coutausse
