As new exhibition celebrates the designer’s impact on style.

Back in October 1989, in a dilapidated neighbourhood on the outskirts of Paris, an anonymous designer was preparing to show his new collection. The set-up was unorthodox: instead of the usual line-up of editors and buyers, the front row was packed with local children, while the fashion literati were left to fend for themselves. The garments were equally singular – frayed, distressed finishes and recycled fabrics were key, every piece assembled with an artistry that few were able to articulate.

This collection – the third from Mr Martin Margiela – made a particularly profound statement in a world still ruled by glitzy power dressing and Gordon Gekko-esque pinstripes. Menswear would follow nine years later in 1998; the stage had been set for a style revolution.

In a U-turn on his notoriously reticent approach to the media spotlight, Mr Margiela has now collaborated with the curators of a new exhibition, staged in Paris’ Palais Galliera, which explores his work from 1989 to his departure from his namesake house in 2009. Perhaps the mask is about to lift on fashion’s most arcane individual? Perhaps not.

We’ve always been fans of his work here at MR PORTER, so to mark the opening of this landmark retrospective, we’ve compiled five of Mr Margiela’s most game-changing contributions to the world of menswear.

He introduced the world to “deconstructivism”

As much as he loathes labels – exactly why the brand’s garments feature nondescript, plain white tags, sewn in by crude tacking stitches – Mr Margiela quickly earned the moniker of a fashion “deconstructivist”. This was owing to his habit of turning garments inside out to display hidden details that were traditionally deemed unsightly – such as seams, unfinished hems, linings and stitching. It was driven by a goal “to take an existing form and to rework it”, which remained central to his work at the house.

He made grunge luxurious

In a direct affront to the yuppie consumerism born in the 1980s, Mr Margiela took the concept of grunge to a new level. His first menswear collection – simply entitled Line 10 – took classic forms and refashioned them into garments that were eclectic and idiosyncratic and tipped a brim to the dishevelled, easy nonchalance of the era’s grunge musicians. Despite this subversive aesthetic, every piece was impeccably tailored and finished in the tradition of the old houses. In the process, he challenged conventional ideas of luxury and made everyday attire sophisticated and thought-provoking.

He was a catalyst for today’s menswear talent

For many designers who had a spell at Maison Martin Margiela in their formative years or saw those early shows, his ethos certainly had a bearing on their own work. Fellow Belgian Mr Raf Simons – with his early riffs on youth culture and clean-cut minimalism at Jil Sander and Calvin Klein – is a fine case in point. As is current fashion wunderkind Mr Demna Gvasalia, who evidently learnt a thing or two from Maison Margiela’s transgressive approach, which can be seen in his structural forms at Balenciaga and rebellious designs at Vetements – a label that has achieved instant cult status, much like Mr Margiela himself.

He was an eco-warrior before it was even a thing

In our post-Blue Planet world, “eco-friendly” and “sustainability” are the words du jour, but Mr Margiela was already well ahead of the curve – one of recurring themes of his creative ethos was the “recovery” and recycling of vintage fabrics, which were repurposed into new garments. Whether it was remodelling furs or re-cutting vintage denim, he always seemed to have an uncanny knack for predicting shifts in the fashion and political landscapes, years before anyone else saw them coming.

He created the cult “fashion” sneaker

Margiela’s cult Replica sneakers – first introduced in 1999 – are based on a military surplus shoe issued to the German armed forces during the Cold War years. Of course, Margiela’s iteration was delivered with a dash of trademark subversive spirit, by washing the leather for a lived-in look and later adding artful paint splatters and contrast suede inserts. Other houses have since followed suit with their own signature footwear (we’re looking at you, Balenciaga Arenas). Proof, if any was needed, that design inspiration can be found in the most unexpected places.

Margiela is on at the Palais Galliera, Paris, from 3 March to 15 July 2018.