For the past 16 years, charity t-shirts benefiting World AIDS Day have been part of every collection from Maison Martin Margiela. The t-shirts are produced in different colours with contrasted text every season, and bear the following quote in English:
“There is more action to be done to fight AIDS than to wear this t-shirt, but it’s a good start”
In addition to the seasonal English version of the t-shirt, this year the cult label has decided to issue the t-shirt in another language than English for the first time ever – and the language they have chosen is Japanese. The limited edition t-shirts featuring the above quote in kanji-characters, will be available exclusively at Maison Martin Margiela stores around the globe today December 1st, on World AIDS Day.
Each year, the maison donates a percentage from the sales to a French charity called AIDES – an organisation dedicated to the fight against HIV/AIDS. Over the years 170 000 t-shirts have been sold and the sales have brought a contribution of more than 700 000 Euro to the charity. There is perhaps more actions to be done to fight HIV and AIDS than wearing a t-shirt, but hey, as the maison say themselves – it’s a good start.
A couple of weeks ago on a sunny breathy Sunday afternoon I visited the Margiela exhibition at Somerset House. Maison Martin Margiela has been the iconic break-through artistic fashion designer since the 80s. In October 2008 MMM celebrated its 20th anniversary. This exhibition at Somerset House pays tribute to those 20 years and salutes one of the world’s most influential fashion houses.
MMM ’20′ The exhibition is not a classic retrospective exhibition. It’s probably the best fashion exhibition I have been to. I will show you the reason slowly…
One of the most remarkable characteristics of Maison Martine Margiela is its consistent use of white, or better said, all possible shades of white, in the collection, in the interiors of its offices, shops and showrooms and even invitations. I have previously blogged about the new released perfume ‘Untitled’ which was in a white medical-look-a-like bottom.
MMM is especially known for its deconstructivist approach, its fashion shows in unexpected places and its taste for recovery and recycling materials. Entrance hall has a projection of catwalk video in front of a line of statues of ‘Tailoring / Shoulders’. The shoulder is an important element in the MMM silhouette.
Tabi boots have also become one of their most iconic objects. They are inspired by Japanese tabi which are ankle-high socks with a split for the big toe and are worn with traditional Japanese sandals. Tabi boots has the split for the big toe from pumps to platform sandals to boots.
I went to the Margiela Exhibition at Somerset House on past Saturday and I got to say it’s probably the best fashion exhibition I’ve ever been to. The exhibition breaks the normal rules for a fashion exhibition by using lots of mirrors, lightings and multi-media. I will blog about it in another entry with detailed photos.
And naturally there’re a bunch of well-dressed people there. And here I want to show you…well naturally…their backs.
Since Diesel purchased the majority of Maison Martin Margiela, they have been digging their brains to present new designs each season. With the departure of designer himself Diesel is trying to show the world MMM has still got the signature style and as well opening new fields. One of the first of all was the limited perfume ‘Untitled’ released just a short while ago. I couldn’t help but became one of its cosumer. (see article here)
Line 13 has always been a strange collection line of MMM, full of surprise. Theme is always ‘the object’, which could be everything and anything from bottle opener to desk lamp. New object of this Spring Summer 2010 is actually not too strange to all of us as we have often seen and admired it in MMM boutique—-the fake french door wallpaper.
I bet many of us have been wishing to purchase it in the past years and now it’s dream comes true! Diesel group might be doing a hard job on MMM label without its legendary designer, however, with the massive finance support Diesel is definitely trying to find a way out!
I think myself like lots of other peopIe are very picky on perfumes. It has to be a right clever bottle design, with thoughtful name matching brand’s philosophy, and most importantly an attractive smell. After learning the news from Stylebubble about Margiela’s new perfume, my curiosity is growing hugely on what sort of scent he would create for his women.
It’s called ‘untitled’ which seems like some unspeaking magic and it looks like a little clinic bottle containing some fresh green spring water. Also, I read somewhere, that you can use the bottle for other purpose when it’s finished. However, I need to work out how to open the bottle top later.
Follow the instruction printed on inside of box lid, I need to cut the wrapped cotton cords to be able to open the bottle.
First spray on my wrist, it smells a little herbal-ish or even manly…then it develops into a fresh cut-grass smell…which is all very matching to Margiela’s unique fashion spirit…as time pass by…it turns into a womanly smell…fresh like a soap (definitely not show gel) washed your body in the summer…More technical words from L’Oreal as it was created under the auspices of L’Oreal—’This perfume includes of course the codes of the brand, while cultivating its personality. Based on green floral notes, we can smell galbanum, boxwood, mastic, incense, bitter orange … as if they had been gathered after the rain.’
It’s currently selling exclusively to Selfridges in London and it murdered £54.50 in my bank account for a precious 50ml. I hope you will like it too.
A couple of weeks back Denimaniac made a post about Bulgarian designer Petar Petrov‘s Autumn/Winter 2009 collection. Out of all the pieces, I really like the yellow/white and pink/white gradient jeans a lot.
They reminded me a bit of the white/dark green trousers Olivier Theyskens is wearing in this picture from the Jak and Jil blog.
According to the comments section they’re by Maison Martin Margiela. I can’t find any pictures of them from any of the label’s runway shows that confirm this though. Instead I think they look more similar to the ones the model is wearing at 2:50 in this video of the Petar Petrov show.
Either way, they look great and are definitely on my wishlist for this season!
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