EVOCATIVE of the back-to-front socially-distanced world we currently live in, MM6 Maison Margiela’s AW21 collection was entirely topsy-turvy.
Presented as a film, set in a cabaret in Paris, the virtual runway took place in reverse – starting with the finale walk and ending with the models getting ready – and revealed the brand’s signature styles in new dimensions.
MM6 Maison Margiela AW21
Taking their cue from a plethora of references – early 20th-century French avant-garde composer Erik Satie, artist Marcel Duchamp, the environmental sounds of mid-20th century composer John Cage, and Andy Warhol’s 60s Pop art – upside-down garments put a bold spin on bourgeois conventions.
MM6 Maison Margiela AW21
A blouse featured satin shoulder pads and exposed seams, while the signature MM6 lab coat came reinterpreted with reverse shearling material. Elsewhere, t-shirts featured portrait prints of composers Sibelius, Satie and Ravel, while a Nordic patterned sweater in an inside-out jacquard knit was reminiscent of a colourful kaleidoscopic piece of tapestry.
MM6 Maison Margiela AW21
The collection also marked the debut of MM6’s new Eastpak collaboration. The American label’s signature canvas backpack and bum bag were playfully reinvented by the French brand in a new reversible design, appearing alongside a double-handled clutch with an upside-down hanging chain.
MM6 Maison Margiela AW21
“How do pieces transform when their iconic parts are slightly rearranged, or totally scrambled?” questions MM6 – the result, a refreshing reset that displays the beauty and craftsmanship of the house at its best.
by Joshua Hendren