Vest
This ‘Artisanal’ handmade leather jacket with applied horizontal rows of black and silver artificial hair was made by Maison Martin Margiela for fall/winter 2009–10, the first collection designed by the collective design staff since the departure of the designer. ‘Artisanal’, the line (0) of the numbered collections of the conceptual fashion house, consisted of garments reworked by hand, usually made out of vintage garments or low-value materials. 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.
The Artisanal line is the house’s answer to the highly regulated world of haute couture: it retains the handmade element, but by using typically low-value materials, time and duration are prioritized over luxurious materials. It is a silent statement that the human hand is what sets couture apart from throwaway fashion, not the luxurious or opulent materials used.
The Artisanal line is the house’s answer to the highly regulated world of haute couture: it retains the handmade element, but by using typically low-value materials, time and duration are prioritized over luxurious materials. It is a silent statement that the human hand is what sets couture apart from throwaway fashion, not the luxurious or opulent materials used.
Artwork Details
- Title: Vest
- Design House: Maison Margiela (French, founded 1988)
- Designer: Martin Margiela (Belgian, born 1957)
- Couture Line: Artisanal
- Date: fall/winter 2009–10
- Culture: French
- Medium: leather, polyester, synthetic
- Credit Line: Purchase, Friends of The Costume Institute Gifts, 2017
- Object Number: 2017.114
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Maison Margiela
Martin Margiela
fall/winter 1989–90
Maison Margiela
spring/summer 2009
Maison Margiela
Martin Margiela
spring/summer 1997
Maison Margiela
Martin Margiela
spring/summer 1997
Maison Margiela
Martin Margiela
spring/summer 1996
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.