Dress

Martin Margiela|Maison Margiela

spring/summer 1991 · synthetic fiber, metal · Costume Institute

This spring/summer 1991 Maison Martin Margiela jacket, constructed out of a repurposed and cut-up 1950s ballgown overpainted in “dust colours,” was worn on the catwalk with a pair of denim trousers, hence contrasting the relaxed 1990s silhouette for women with the earlier 1950s corseted ideal. The runway models with natural bodies would not fit these dresses so they were worn as jackets: this way, the house challenged the accepted slim beauty ideals in the fashion industry. The denim items in the collection were also made from repurposed materials, a distinct signature method of the house, questioning many of fashion's rules regarding newness and preciosity.

Artist

Martin Margiela|Maison Margiela

Date

spring/summer 1991

Medium

synthetic fiber, metal

Culture

French

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 2018