Welcome to Glenn Martens's Maison Margiela — ‘It's Going to Be Quite Loud'
Part of the specific challenge with Maison Margiela, he continues, is just how influential the founder's thinking became across all fashion. 'I myself am one of those children of the Margiela generation. And I think Martin is more than a designer, he is a school that has changed a lot of people's thinking… The Japanese were a bit before, but I think in Europe it was Martin who made this change, this thought that garments don't have to follow a classic structure. It was trying to find a different way of looking at beauty, of looking at construction and looking at fashion at large. And this has been a design ethos for so many designers since, some of them more directly and some of them less so. I have always been someone, I think quite clearly, who has always followed that way of thinking.'
Which leads to questions of originality, ownership, and identity. Martens laughs again as he recounts the sometimes creatively confronting nature of his deep dive into the Margielian world. 'When I arrived here I asked my stylist to bring out all of Martin's archive pieces. Because I had always only ever seen them in books. And finally seeing the real items, I was so disappointed in myself. I was like: 'My God, I just copied everything before when I was at Y/Project!''
'I love this house for its founding DNA, but definitely a lot of that DNA has been fully plundered; literally plundered, this is the best word for it. Reclaiming some of these elements, trying to reclaim them with elegance, and finding my own way to work through them is what I want to do.'
If Martens's own 13-year output at that Parisian indie label was unconsciously saturated by Margiela's influence, there are some who have taken a far more premeditated approach to incorporating his new house's creative canon. He says: 'Margiela has been a source to so many designers and brands, some more literally than others. I love this house for its founding DNA, but definitely a lot of that DNA has been fully plundered: literally plundered, this is the best word for it… Reclaiming some of these elements, and trying to reclaim them with elegance, and finding my own way to work through them is what I want to do.'
Another factor for Martens to calculate is the enormous contribution to the house from John Galliano, who served as the creative director from October 2014 to December 11, 2024. Martens says: 'I love everything he has done here… John is a genius in couture. He created his own fantastic world, and the product was very much linked to it. I could never be John: only one reason for that is because I am not such a good storyteller.' Galliano arrived at Margiela three years after the end of his 13-year stint at Christian Dior, where he had created some of the most opulent and narratively expressive couture shows fashion has ever seen. His unique articulation of that apex house of mainstream French luxury was duly refracted through his work at Maison Margiela.
This, Martens implies, offers him a distinct route forward as he plots his path ahead. He says: 'I think in the days of Martin this world was much more niche. The luxury was more about the exclusivity of it through an independent way of thinking. Now it is also about the craftsmanship and the tailoring: John brought that in and we need to continue building it, because it is part of the development of this house.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wall Street Journal
an hour ago
- Wall Street Journal
A Guide to Creating Your Ideal Fall Wardrobe
In the 2009 Vogue documentary 'The September Issue,' editor Candy Pratts Price proclaimed of fashion's most important month: 'September is the January of fashion.' Like a fresh backpack for a new school year, fall collections once elicited sartorial shivers of excitement. Sixteen years later? Things have changed.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
"I hope he stops when I'm done eating my meal, because I'm eating my meal" - Charles Barkley had issues with Monaco royalty's dining protocols
"I hope he stops when I'm done eating my meal, because I'm eating my meal" - Charles Barkley had issues with Monaco royalty's dining protocols originally appeared on Basketball Network. The Dream Team that competed in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics was, without a shadow of a doubt, sports royalty. A group stacked with bona fide basketball legends such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, they were cheered and adored wherever they went. Despite their reputation as the kings of the court, their legendary titles seemed insignificant compared to those held by the princes who reigned over Monaco. And so, as the team prepared to have dinner with Prince Rainier and Prince Albert during their stay in the popular principality renowned as the playground of the ultra-rich and famous, the players were briefed on how to behave in the presence of royalty. This also included how and when to eat — something that Charles Barkley had an issue with. High-brow behavior Dealing with members of a royal family requires a certain level of etiquette and decorum, especially when it comes to dining. According to Kim Bohuny, the NBA's manager of international events, she briefed the players and coaches on the customs and expectations of dining with royalty. "We had dinner with Prince Rainier and Prince Albert. There's very strict protocol," Bohuny shared. "You know, you can't eat until Prince Rainier eats — things like that. We were reviewing it with the team beforehand, and I think it shocked some of our guys." While many understood what was expected of them, some, like Barkley and Karl Malone, were shocked. Craig Miller, Team USA Basketball's director of public relations, still remembers how the legendary forward reacted to the information he received. "They said if the prince puts his fork down and stops eating, you all better stop eating," Craig narrated. "And Charles said, 'Well, I hope he stops when I'm done eating my meal, because I'm eating my meal.'"Malone was equally shocked Bohuny was sharing all these in perfect English. However, she might as well have been speaking in a foreign language with how little things made sense, especially to those who grew up just sitting at the table and immediately chowing down after saying grace. One such player was Malone, who grew up in Summerfield, Louisiana — a community in northeast Claiborne Parish. "I'm from the country. Our etiquette is pretty much, 'Pass me the beans,' and we pass it down," he said. Malone didn't mean any disrespect to the established customs of fine dining, but it was simply how he was raised. Spoons, forks, plates — that's all there was to it. No fluff, no fancy words or complicated courses. Just good food and good company. "It took me a while to understand the rules. This glass was on this side, and this fork was for this…" he continued. "You know what? Let me eat. You're talking about a fish out of water — that's how I felt. I had a nice suit on, I guess." Considering the fact that there weren't any international incidents reported during the Dream Team's brief stay in Monaco, it's safe to say everyone managed to navigate the table settings just story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Meet Lindsay Lohan 2.0: How red carpet fashion is rebuilding the star's reputation
Winks to her beloved characters and high-fashion red carpet moments set the tone for Lohan's Hollywood return. 'Well, this is genius,' says Alex Badia as he stares at photos of Lindsay Lohan's designer-fueled Freakier Friday press tour. 'And you know, it hasn't always been that way for her.' Badia is the head of the fashion department at Women's Wear Daily; he's also its on-camera correspondent for awards shows and the Met Gala. Movie stars don't faze him; neither do $20,000 couture gowns. And yet, the been-there-worn-that style expert is more than impressed with the fashion comeback tour currently being staged by Lohan, 39, for her Freakier Friday promo duties. 'This isn't even a fashion thing,' Badia tells Yahoo. 'It's more like a marketing campaign for Lindsay 2.0.' Lindsay 1.0 was already amazing. The Long Island native was drop-kicked into superstardom via The Parent Trap remake (1998), followed by Freaky Friday (2003) and the Queen Bee of teen movies, 2004's Mean Girls. But while Lohan was growing from ingenue to star, her public substance use overshadowed her talent. Years of drunk driving busts and drug possession charges led to 13 days in jail, followed by 15 years in movie jail, making made-for-TV fare and guest appearances (and commercials!) while slowly rebuilding her life. Lohan eventually settled in Dubai and became a mother in 2023, right when comforting Y2K trends like micro mini skirts and Uggs reemerged, plus sequels like And Just Like That… and Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy. That's around the time when Lohan's longtime mentor, Jamie Lee Curtis, stepped up to advocate for the star's second chance at Disney. Freakier Friday is shaping up to be Lohan's global bid for A-list reentry. To honor her comeback, Disney has carefully crafted a press campaign that fashion psychologist and bestselling author Shakaila Forbes-Bell calls 'a classic example of show, don't tell.' Aside from a sparse clutch of high-profile interviews for outlets like Elle and The Tonight Show, Lohan has kept relatively quiet and let her clothes do the talking. The looks have been built by Andrew Mukamal, Lindsay Lohan's current stylist, who is best known for engineering Margot Robbie's Barbie press tour into its own all-pink party. (Mukamal told Yahoo he couldn't comment on this story — another example of the clothes doing the talking here.) Along with Blake Lively's longtime makeup artist Kristofer Buckle and Sabrina Carpenter's regular hairstylist Danielle Priano, Mukamal ensures that Lindsay Lohan's Freakier Friday looks work as megaphones blaring a singular message: She is ready and able to return to stardom. The first rule of fashion redemption: Keep it classic Lohan kicked off her comeback tour on July 22 with a series of classic gowns, including a baby pink Miu Miu twirler and a tiered chiffon dress from Rabanne. 'You see this type of super-glossy look a lot with celebrities who have a bad reputation,' a crisis communications director at a luxury brand, who asked for anonymity, tells Yahoo. (Her company sometimes dresses Lohan.) When a celebrity is in image rehab, Badia explains, 'their job isn't to be trendy. It's to assure people they're reliable.' In that way, wearing an Oscar de la Renta column dress could send the message that she's a pillar of the industry — and that she's still standing. The second rule of fashion redemption: Flash back to move forward On July 28, Lohan appeared in a yellow tweed skirt suit by Balmain. Fans of the actress immediately clocked its similarity to a teenier yellow suit worn by her tween character, Annie James, in The Parent Trap. The same day, Lohan wore a Roberto Cavalli dress that twinned with the other sibling she played in the film, Hallie Parker. 'It's so intentional,' says Badia. 'They know the immediate press it gets.' The fashion flashbacks continued as Lohan wore a 'Pink Slip' T-shirt and pink cardigan that referenced both her Freaky Friday band name and her Mean Girls nemesis, Regina George. A custom-made lavender gown Lohan wore to the U.K. premiere by the emerging French designer Ludovic de Saint Sernin mirrored her final dress from Freaky Friday. 'Redoing these looks is a form of nostalgia, which is really powerful in fashion because it can immediately invoke positive feelings,' says Forbes-Bell. Connecting fashion with childhood memories 'also invites fans to engage with play and childlike wonder.' There's also a gameplay element to the throwback looks. Spotting a movie fashion reference from 20 years ago is the kind of 'if you know, you know' brag that bonds internet fandoms and stokes bored group chats. Building Easter eggs into Lohan's wardrobe tour makes the experience more interactive and lets those watching from afar feel like they're in on a fun secret. The third rule of fashion redemption: Secure the YSL bag As Hollywood moves further into the streaming economy and content gets cheaper to make through AI and TikTok, celebrity salaries can become a casualty. (Witness The White Lotus cast getting paid $40,000 per episode in 2025, when past TV royalty like the Friends cast earned $1 million for 30 minutes of airtime in its final seasons.) Because of this new cash crunch, 'it's more important than ever for actresses to secure fashion and beauty campaigns,' says Badia. 'The red carpet is essentially an audition for those campaigns.' To show that she can attract the right kind of press for designer brands, Lohan's third clothing rail is stuffed with runway looks, including slinky gowns from Saint Laurent and Chloé, a suit from Sergio Hudson and a Carrie Bradshaw tutu situation from the edgy French label Jacquemus. Together, these pieces cost nearly $18,000. But a star like Lohan's potential haul as the face of a luxury brand is an estimated $3 million per campaign, according to the New York Times. Nobody who's coveted a $2,900 Miu Miu bag thinks money can't buy a little swing of happiness. Still, Forbes-Bell suspects the real value of Lohan's red carpet tour isn't something she can charge to her American Express. 'She looks like she's having a blast,' says Forbes-Bell. 'As humans, we're drawn to beautiful things, but they have to feel real. Her outfit is gorgeous, and her smile is real. That's what fans are here to see.' This weekend, Freakier Friday officially hits global cinemas, and Lohan's bankability will be tested at the box office. So too will her ability to sell style along with movie tickets. One early hint? After Lohan wore Cavalli's zany pheasant-print minidress on July 28, searches for the brand spiked nearly 340%. Despite its $3,025 price tag, it zipped from shelves with the speed of a celebrity tabloid rumor. At Cavalli's online store, every version of the dress is gone. Online at Farfetch, there's literally one left as of press time. In the words of Freaky Friday fans, it's the ultimate. Solve the daily Crossword
