Coat

Design House Maison Margiela French
Designer Martin Margiela Belgian
spring/summer 2009
Not on view
An accumulation of glossy blonde wigs and hair extensions are assembled like objets trouvés in this coat by Maison Martin Margiela for spring/summer 2009. The collection revisited former design concepts, such as jackets made of discarded costume wigs for the Artisanal line of fall/winter 2005–4. The Artisanal concept is central to the philosophy of the house: one-of-a kind, handmade objects made from repurposed or cheap textiles and found objects, show that luxury resides not so much in the preciosity or opulence of the materials, but that the artisanship, time and effort which went into the garment are what makes it haute couture. By paying tribute to the human hand and process rather than the value of the material, Margiela deconstructs the prescriptive concepts at the heart of the Parisian couture tradition, usually hiding traces of construction or use. He thereby inscribes his own avant-garde collections into a longstanding tradition. Hair and wigs are a recurring choice of material for Margiela, who previously integrated wigs from theatre costume cast-offs, flickering between glamour and the abject.
Known for his critical position concerning celebrity, fashion and beauty, he showed the jacket on an anonymous veiled model, contrasting anonymity with the idea of celebrity and supermodels like Kate Moss, who wore this coat on magazine covers

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Coat
  • Design House: Maison Margiela (French, founded 1988)
  • Designer: Martin Margiela (Belgian, born 1957)
  • Date: spring/summer 2009
  • Culture: French
  • Medium: polyester, acrylic, silk
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Friends of The Costume Institute Gifts, 2016
  • Object Number: 2016.231a, b
  • Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute

More Artwork

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.