Where Is Martin Margiela?

Catwalking.com

Because he never shows his face at shows or grants interviews, Martin Margiela has always been mysterious. But lately there have been rumblings that he is no longer associated with the house that bears his name. Some say he hasn't done much in recent years except work on the runway shows--delegating the rest to his team. Last season Margiela celebrated the 20th anniversary of his house and the show was filled with his wit and emotion. But recently I've noticed that his shows are a lot less raw and twisted than they used to be so I wonder if he was around this season. The deconstruction theme for fall bore many familiar Margiela trademarks, but there was something slick about the execution and the production that was distinctly un-Margiela. I was talking about this with friends last night at dinner, does it matter whether or not the designer is present? Margiela, after all, went to great pains to remain behind the scenes and to refer to the Maison Martin Margiela, not that man. My friend Domitille argued that she always buys something special at Margiela and she will continue to shop there, yet it bothers her to think that he is not involved. On the flip side, Margiela has done a great job of creating a recognizable and extremely modern vocabulary for his label, one that has little to do with his own personal story. In many ways that is the genius of an enduring brand. The recognition has to come in the product, not the creator.