Glenn Martens revealed his first collection for Maison Margiela in July 2025. The couture show, a mix of metals and body illusions, marked a new era for the French luxury house. With each look, came a mask. Some were made of lace, others bronze or jewels. These masks, while covering the models, carried meaning deep within Margiela (p.s. they didn’t start with Martens).
Martin Came First
The creator of the house, Martin Margiela, showed his first collection in 1988. The show was presented for the Spring 1989 season and exuded a dark appeal. Models walked with messy up-dos and smudged makeup. The color palette was muted, focusing on red, black and cream.
The dim lighting of the room also added to the appeal. Everything in the show, from the set design to the pieces themselves, had an extended shadow. The darkness of the collection made Martin stand out, cementing him as a unique designer from the start.
The most notable feature of the collection was the masks. Sheer fabric covered a few of the models’ faces, stopping only to expose their necks. The hidden features of the models created an eerie feeling. One that disturbed critics but enticed fashion enthusiasts to want more.
One Mask, Many Iterations
Martin Margiela was the creative director of the house until 2009. After he resigned, there was no creative lead until 2014 when John Galliano took over. This left five years where a design team, unknown to the public, continued Martin’s legacy. The idea of an anonymous design team is not unheard of in the fashion world. If anything, the break added to Margiela’s mysterious appeal.
Above are two masks: one covered in red gems from the Artisanal A/W 2014 show, and one filled with metallic flowers from Fall Couture 2013. Both of these pieces were created by the anonymous group of artisans. Clearly, the level of detail in these requires expert-level skills.
Maison Margiela Artisanal 2025
In July 2025, Glenn Martens (also the creative director of Diesel) showed his vision for the iconic masks. A majority of them concealed the models’ faces, leaving no room for them to see out. These heavy coverings, made of gold and diamonds, recreated the anonymity from Martin’s first collection.
A few of the pieces revealed parts of the models’ features. These masks appeared like cellophane wrap or glass-blown figures. A stark contrast from the other pieces, the models appeared blurred as an illusion.
What are your thoughts on the masks? Let us know @VALLEYmag on Instagram!
