171. Martin Margiela - In His Own Words; movie review

MARTIN MARGIELA - IN HIS OWN WORDS
Cert TBA
90 mins
BBFC advice: TBA

The mystery man of fashion. How could anyone consistently manage to be among the headlines and yet sidestep the media's glare?
Of course, Martin Margiela is no longer alone in cultivating the celebrity of anonymity, thanks to the arrival of Banksy of the scene.
But I think Margiela's success in keeping his head down is more impressive, given that he put together two high-profile shows a year without revealing himself.
Reiner Holzemer's film offers as intimate a profile as possible of Margiela, without him either revealing his face or giving too much away.
Despite his anonymity, it is accepted that he was one of the most groundbreaking and influential fashion designers of the 1980s onwards.
This biopic examines his work but also chronicles his life from creating clothes for his dolls as a child through the tough times of learning the fashion trade.
It then tells how he spent time as Jean Paul Gaultier's assistant and later accepted the role of creative director at Hermes while continuing to lead the Margiela brand.
His radical style (his models often when face masks) is explained through drawings, notes and personal items, which give a rare insight into his vision and career.
Margiela narrates elements of the film and there are also contributions from Gaultier and other fashion notables such as Carine Roitfeld, critic Cathy Horyn and historian Olivier Saillard.
They all pay homage to his creativity although his lack of financial success is also given cursory discussion.
The film's problem is that its subject doesn't want to be exposed and so its maker was forced to keep within his boundaries in order to gain his approval.
In other words, it didn't really take the Margiela story on as much as a fan might have hoped.

Reasons to watch: Rare words from the mysterious fashion designer
Reasons to avoid: A film which promotes Margiela rather than examines him

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 6/10

Did you know? Working under the collective 'Maison Martin Margiela' for over 20 years, Margiela left the label in 2009. However, a 'faceless' team continue to produce surreal and challenging collections.

The final word. Reiner Holzemer: “He won’t work as a fashion designer anymore in his life—probably. But you never know. We all love that the movie ends with this. It gives you a nice smile in the end, which is important.” Vogue

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