Martin Margiela, the famously reclusive Belgian fashion designer, is putting his personal archive up for auction for the first time. The 195-lot sale, taking place on July 9 during Paris couture week at Maurice Auction in collaboration with Kerry Taylor Auctions, includes early portfolios, iconic Tabi shoes, white cotton smocks, and 60 Hermès pieces that belonged to his mother. The archive, which features items from the 1980s through the 2000s, is expected to fetch up to €412,000 ($479,000). A preview exhibition curated by Bob Verhelst will run from July 4 to 8 near Margiela's former headquarters.
This sale matters because it offers an unprecedented public glimpse into the process of a designer who has avoided the spotlight for decades, having left fashion in 2014. The auction houses claim it is the first time a living creator has directly collaborated with an auction house to sell their personal archive. The event also highlights the growing market for fashion memorabilia, following a previous sale of Margiela pieces from his former pattern-maker that brought in nearly €2 million. For collectors and institutions, the archive provides rare access to the origins of Margiela's deconstructed aesthetic.