In a rare interview, Martin Margiela extrapolated upon the aim of his artisanal line as, “its concept was-and still is-to reconstruct new garments by using other garments or accessories, used or new… It [is] all about giving a new life to old and abandoned pieces, so they could be worn again in a different way.” Margiela notes that while the artisanal line is certainly not couture by any stretch of the meaning, the line employs techniques that make mass production, and often mere duplication, impossible. The belief was that the clothes should be produced in such a way that they are as individualistic as the vintage pieces they were constructed from. Between this line and his “replica” pieces, Margiela was at the forefront of the now-ubiquitous celebration of vintage garments.

Margiela often employed trompe l’oeil prints throughout his tenure as one of a myriad of ways he would play with optical illusions. This particular shirt conjures an image of a shirt and tie.

Condition: 8/10. Small hole at tag.

Tagged size: S

Shoulder: 16.5in

Pit to pit: 16.5in

Length: 25in

Sleeve: 7in