blank label

Yesterday I visited TK Maxx store for the first time. The hunt was successful. I found a black Roberto Cavalli mini dress for £80 and a white 100% lana wool sweater for £60 with a blank label. Before purchasing I doubled about the sweater. I didn't know who's design it was so it looked a bit expensive just for a sweater. But I felt really good in it and it wasn't an ordinary thick sweater. It was thin and I knew it will keep me warm but not boiling. Today I decided to do some reading for my studies. I picked a random book about most famous designers and got through some of the names. My eye caught one of the many which I knew a bit but never read about his work in more depth. I kept reading till I bumped into this sentence - 'the label in his clothing remains blank or simply has a circled number'… Margiela. Maison Martin Margiela. I rushed to the closet and found that sweater. Smiling I put it on once more and said to myself : 'No. I'm not going to bring it back for sure.'

And this is what I found on internet:

The numbers on the garment labels refer to different collections, although not all of them are in use. Of the ones they do use, they reference the following:

0 – Garments remodelled by hand for women; 0 10 – garments remodelled by hand for men; 1 – the collection for women; 10 - the collection for men; 4 – a wardrobe for women; 14 – a wardrobe for men; 11- a collection of accessories for women and men; 22 – a collection of shoes for women and men; 13 – objects and publications; 6 – garments for women and men.

On the reverse of where the internal label is sewn, white stitching remains visible on all garments and should not be unpicked. This derives from the label’s interest in contradicting the norm and has come to serve as a symbol of quiet confidence and exclusivity.

From shop assistants to PRs at Fashion Week, all staff at Maison Martin Margiela wear white lab coats to signify unity and teamwork. This idea is enhanced by the fact that all correspondence from the label is signed Maison Martin Margiela, rather than with an individual’s name. The emphasis is on collectiveness.

source: www.vogue.co.uk

collaboration with Converse

collaboration with H&M

(untitled) parfumes

So now I can say that Maison Martin Margiela is the most conceptual designers in today's fashion world. He creates with the unspoken idea which all fashion design students start their collections, but which fades after a few years replaced by the commercial success aim. Maison Martin Margiela also rejects the worldwide obsession about brands and proves that good things/designs don't need to be advertised - they speak for themselves. Leave the label blank.