In the days of email, facebook, twitter and instant messaging, nothing triggers excitement like receiving a fashion show invite via post, especially when the sender is Maison Martin Margiela. Since their first S/S89 presentation – when they invited guests via telegram invitation – the Parisian fashion house, renowned for its deconstructivist approach and taste for recovery and recycling materials, has consistently created invites as innovative as their collections.
True to form, for their A/W12 womenswear show on Friday Margiela served up a strong collection with intriguing twists: hemlines came normal at the front and several inches shorter at the back, coat collars and polo necks reached almost eye-line, and trompe l’oeil capes appeared like jackets with arms tucked into pockets. However it was their ingenious invite – a flash light key chain that projects the show details when shone onto a dark surface – that has given us endless hours of idle pleasure.
With all of this in mind we take a look back at Margiela’s most playful and resourceful invite creations, including: A/W89’s classified advertisement, S/S06’s ceramic plate, S/S09’s childlike felt tip pen illustrated cardboard, A/W10's puzzle pieces, and S/S11’s acrylic stencil ruler. Who said that fashion week should just be about the clothes?
Text by Lucia Davies
