MM6 Maison Margiela AW2530 Images
Somehow, we’re at the start of another fashion season – this time the behemoth two-month stretch which will take us through menswear, into couture, and out the other end after the women’s shows somewhere around the middle of March.
From Milan to Paris, Paris to New York, and all the way back around again once over, we’re excited for big debuts from Willy Chavarria and SS Daley, who both land in the French capital for the first time, Peter Copping’s premiere Lanvin presentation, and Alessandro Michele’s vision of Valentino haute couture, as well as outings from forever faves Prada, Rick Owens, Comme des Garçons and loads, loads more.
Before all that though, the fashion crowd are getting warmed up for the marathon ahead with a quick little pit-stop in Florence for Pitti Uomo, where last night, MM6 Maison Margiela kicked things off in the revered guest designer spot – a space which has previously been occupied by names including Martine Rose, Craig Green, Virgil Abloh, and Shayne Oliver – here’s everything you need to know.
While MM6 was brand new to the Florence scene, Margiela’s mainline previously turned up at Pitti as guest designer in 2006, just a few years before Martin himself’s shock departure in 2009. Back then, the brand had editors line up outside faded 1940s cinema Teatro Puccini, seemingly waiting to get in, before actually kicking the show off outside – models kitted out in head-to-toe all-white looks sped up on classic Italian mopeds, before jumping off to give the audience a better look at their clothes (For more on that, check out our Cult Vault here). So the AW25 show was a homecoming of sorts for the faceless collective which steers the MM6 ship.
The MM6 lot had decided an ornate old greenhouse in the expansive grounds of Giardino dell’Orticoltura – a picturesque botanical garden on the outskirts of the city – would be its home for the night, and as soon as guests began the journey up the gravel path and towards the venue, it became clear why. The ornate wrought-iron and glass building was illuminated by floodlights, glowing white against the dark indigo of the night sky, and evoked the whitewashed halls of Margiela’s Paris maison, where trompe-l’oeil wallpaper famously depicts antique furniture, doors, and picture frames.
Maison Margiela is a house that does it differently when it comes to its shows, dragging heavyweight editors like Anna Wintour onto subway trains and school playgrounds to stage its infamous shows across the years and making them get cosy sitting on the floor with none of the hierarchy usually reserved for fashion shows. MM6 continued in this tradition by doing away with the front row entirely and having the crowd part down the middle to create a makeshift catwalk. While some people were pretty miffed, plenty more got into it and appreciated the democratic vibe, which felt very true to the house.
The soundtrack immediately set the scene in the darkened space as Jarvis Cocker crooned “You are hardcore, you make me hard” – the first line from Pulp’s X-rated 1998 track “This Is Hardcore”. As it played out in its entirety, models swaggered up and down the runway, stopping to pose and look confrontationally out at the audience, squinting in the glare of the blistering white floodlights that illuminated their route.
When it came to the clothes, the MM6 team turned out slim suiting, leather pants, and a swathe of wipe-clean vinyl flasher-macs, that you could imagine Cocker and Brett Anderson of Suede slipping comfortably into circa the Britpop era. It all felt very indie sleaze, but instead of being seen through the lens of the chaotic 00s, this time the house turned the clock even further back to the mid-90s and the skinny, sort-of-androgynous look that prevailed then.
Probably best of all, though, was the resurrection of the uber-naff shiny suit that dominated regional nightclubs filled with cigarette smoke and sticky carpets back in the day. Turned out in a glittery black material and a high-shine blue metallic fabric, the format actually felt very fresh – just make sure to stay away from any naked flames.
Throughout the collection there were a few references to that original 2006 Pitti show, with models carrying gleaming bicycle helmets under their arms as they walked. Meanwhile, accessories took the form of elbow length faux fur gloves and what can only be described as ‘sheaux’, as well as dark wrap-around sunglasses that paid homage to the tape Martin plastered across his cast’s faces the first time around.
Click through the gallery above for a closer look at the collection, and head to Dazed Fashion’s Instagram for more from the AW25 season.
