Margiela's Hair Coat

by Christine Lee

Martin Margiela's Hair Coat is currently displayed at the Les Arts Decoratifs as part of a fashion exhibition (Les Annèes 1990 & 2000: Histoire Idèale de La Mode Contemporaine Vol. 2.) It is the first thing that you see upon walking through the doors of anticipation that stirs from questions of whether this exposition will be worth a valuable Sunday afternoon. Any and all doubts are cast aside about the exhibition when you lay your eyes on this one piece. Immediately, you are drawn in. This piece is Margiela. It stands for a major component of who he is as a designer: an avant-garde visionary, capable of transforming unorthodox items into couture. How powerfully it exists as a representation of one man's capabilities to change the fashion world. There is no doubt that this hair coat is more than just wigs fastened into a wearable format -- it holds power and worth that nobody can deny.

This is an example of opposition to fashion.