Martin Margiela, Why Did You Take A Personal Documentary?

Martin Margiela is one of the most talented designers recognized in fashion history, and also the most elusive. Therefore, two years ago, Mint Film of Holland Rotterdam launched the documentary "We Margiela". It is easy to understand that this aroused people's interest.
The documentary traces the history and legacy of Margiela. Director Menna Laura Meijer interviewed former team members of Margiela, including Jenny co-founder of the brand and Margiela Jenny's commercial partner. Shortly before the film was released, Meirens died. In addition, brand communications director Patrick Scallon, knitwear designer Lutz Huelle and brand show makeup artist Inge Grognard also appeared in the movie. The team recalled how difficult and exciting it was for the company to work there. Meijer mentioned that Margiela refused to show up in documentaries, which is not surprising, consistent with Margiela's mysterious style.
However, in a new documentary, no one else is himself, which is quite surprising. The movie "Martin Margiela: In His Own Words" premiered last week at the New York Documentary Film Festival (DOC NYC). As the title shows, I am talking about brand history by Margiela herself. The question arises immediately: why designers who have been hiding for years have decided to put themselves in a documentary.
The new film was directed by German director Reiner Holzemer, who also directed the 2017 documentary "Dries", which tells the story of Belgian designer Dries Van Noten. The setting of "Dries" shows the interesting and straightforward success story of Van Noten as an independent designer. The film did not involve selling the brand (before filming was acquired by Puig), no business partners had to deal with it, no potential malicious takeovers, and no mystery designed for the designer.
The setting of Martin Margiela: In His Own Words is also enjoyable, but the problem is that Margiela's story is not at all simple. I went through with several people who had contact with Margiela. In one way or another, they revealed that Margiela did not like We Margiela at all, especially the way of praising Meirens. Designers said sales declined after the brand was sold to Renzo Rosso. Only Brave. Holzemer confirmed Margiela's dissatisfaction with We Margiela in our live interviews, and so did director Meijer.
In the documentary, Martin Margiela created a powerful adhesive belt for the model at the Paris Fashion Museum.
In this case, it is reasonable for Margiela to tell the brand story in his own way. Holzemer seems to be a good director choice because he tends to take a moderate attitude towards photographer. After the release of Dries, Holzemer tried several times to turn Margiela into a documentary, but the designer remained silent. We can only speculate on what made him suddenly change his mind, dissatisfied with the views expressed in We Margiela, and hope to have a narrative control over his legacy, which should be a good reason.
Holzemer told me in a previous face-to-face interview that Margiela had been closely involved in the production of documentaries and had appeared in the editing room for the two time and tried to change the director's presentation of documentaries. Therefore, what you will see in the film is the image that Margiela himself can not challenge. This documentary is very straightforward. It basically develops in chronological order. Some biographical plots are thought-provoking. Next, Margiela is a historical review of his work history. And Cathy Horyn, Carine Roitfield and Carla Sozzani and other fashion celebrities expressed flattery, but in fact, none of the former companies interviewed. Other characters become insignificant. This is a personal show of Martin Margiela. It is abnormal and even unpleasant, full of designer's first person expression - "I", in sharp contrast with "We Margiela". We are used to seeing the brand narration of Maison Martin Margiela as collectivism, which is originally the style of narration that the brand has been keeping.
"I" is not necessarily unfair. As Scallon said in We Margiela, Margiela is a designer after all, but the rest of the business is done by other people in the company, including interviews and exhibitions, and the brand vision is not Margiela owned. Scallon talked about Meirens: "she is definitely the core of Margiela's growth into a company. For me, Margiela is a fifty-five point of view. If the company's performance is not like today, then the clothes will not be so influential.
We Margiela is also in contradiction with the new documentary in other ways. For example, Margiela insists that anonymity is just because of his shyness, and he refused to talk with reporters from the very beginning. This is different from Scallon's statement. In his "We Margiela", he mentioned that Margiela's decision took place a few years after the establishment of the brand, which is both a real move and a public relations strategy. Margiela insists that he wants to convey all the information through clothes. But Scallon says this is not true either. Over the past few years, Margiela has introduced every series of works to selected media reporters. Considering that Margiela is generally recognized as the most rational concept of fashion master, Huelle also finds it hard to believe that designers do not want to explain his works. "You have so much to say, how can you not talk about clothes?" He asked loudly in We Margiela.
In addition, and perhaps most importantly, in We Margiela, Diesel's owner Rosso bought Maison Martin Margiela, and after Meirens left, people obviously dissatisfied with the way the company operated. But in the new documentary, Margiela disguise the deal. It seems like a small thing that is not worth discussing. Notwithstanding the well-known fact, the outcome of the deal is not satisfactory. Margiela said he left the company in 2008 because of the rise of the Internet, and the instant availability of the latter made it impossible to surprise the audience. Perhaps because of this, though designers can still surprise the spectators of fashion shows as before, after all, the role of the Internet is broadcasting equipment, but not a time machine.
What is Martin Margiela: In His Own Words? Designers who are consistently clear and balanced decide to break the rules of anonymity and silence. Or is Margiela trying to build its own legacy in its own way? We may never know. There is no doubt that Margiela is an outstanding designer and has made a great contribution to the contemporary fashion industry. It is not clear what the truth of Margiela is.