Inside the Record-breaking Auction of Martin Margiela’s Early Work: The 5 Looks That Fetched the Most
The news last month that an unprecedented auction of Martin Margiela’s early work was coming to Paris generated part enthusiasm, part curiosity — and full virality on social media.
It was clear the event, staged on Monday to coincide with the inaugural day of haute couture week in Paris and preceded by an exhibition over the weekend, was going to be a buzzy affair.
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Hosted by Kerry Taylor Auctions and Maurice Auction and held in a disused building at 81 Boulevard Voltaire, in the 11th arrondissement, the auction drew 2,000 visitors over two days and, most importantly, yielded a total take of 1,889,000 euros — billed as the highest amount ever achieved at a fashion auction in France.
Dating from 1988 to 1994, all 270 lots were sold. These were part of the personal collection of Angela and Elena Picozzi, founders of Italian fashion prototyping and manufacturing company Castor Fashion, and included many never-worn designs, styles that never made it into the stores at the time, museum-worthy ensembles and even rare designs from Margiela’s little-known first brand “!,” making it the largest single auction of Margiela ever held.
Key pieces hailed from seminal collections such as Maison Martin Margiela’s spring 1990 show, and were estimated to fetch between 1,200 euros and 5,000 euros. But expectations were exceeded.
The most coveted look and star lot was a spring 1990 black-and-white spotted wool suit that commanded 101,400 euros, touted as a new world record for a look by the designer.
Other rare finds from the spring 1990 range followed, including a painted canvas blazer jacket that was sold for 91,000 euros; a pannier bag ensemble that fetched 85,800 euros; a gray wool zippered jacket and matching pants that were sold for 65,000 euros, and a white cotton mesh dress that fetched 62,400 euros.
Additional lots on sale comprised suits with removable sleeves and clear vinyl tops worn in multiple ways, as well as a “curtain” skirt ensemble from the fall 1991 collection and a teal knitted wool sweater of the same season emphasizing rather than hiding seams via shimmering Lurex threads.
The pieces were first showcased in an exhibit over the weekend, preceded by an exclusive cocktail event that drew designers and industry figures. These included Dior’s Maria Grazia Chiuri; Giambattista Valli; Moschino’s creative director and passionate fashion collector Adrian Appiolaza; Longchamp’s Sophie Delafontaine; Swarovski’s global creative director Giovanna Engelbert, and Olivier Saillard, among many others.
“Hosting an auction in a disused building, with a setup inspired by Martin Margiela’s world, provided a unique experience never seen before at an auction house. We are thrilled that the public and our buyers embraced it,” said Maurice Auction auctioneer Salomé Pirson, thanking the Picozzi sisters for their trust.
As reported, the Picozzi sisters collected the designs over the decades inspired by their mother Graziella Picozzi, a key figure in the Italian fashion industry and talent scout, who supported the then-unknown Margiela in the late ‘80s.
In particular, she recruited Margiela to work as a consultant on her brand Deni Cler, after he left Jean Paul Gaultier’s studio in 1987. Thunderstruck by the Belgian designer’s talent, Picozzi encouraged him to create his own brand by collaborating on many Maison Martin Margiela garments between 1989 and 1994.
The most unexpected pieces from the Picozzis’ archives came with an exclamation mark. To be sure, before Margiela started his brand he collaborated with Picozzi and Deni Cler on a project from 1988 to 1989 known only by an “!” based on an idea he had of having a brand with no name. Margiela and Picozzi worked together on four collections, during which he already revealed his forward-thinking spirit and a flair evoking his time at Gaultier.
Some rare garments of this period that went on sale comprised a jacket, waistcoat and tie from 1988, as well as a folder of 70 original hand-drawn sketches from the fall 1989 collection.
Other documents on sale included original paper patterns used to make Margiela’s most famous jackets from spring 1989 and other early lines and complete folders of facsimile sketches for each collection, as the designer didn’t typically send the original ones to his manufacturers.
“We always considered these items an important part of fashion history that ought to be protected. Over time, we realized how important it is that Martin’s talent and vision [gets] enhanced, studied, told and, why not, worn. And that’s why we are selling [these pieces] today. We believe the fashion world should be reexposed to Margiela’s early aesthetics,” said Angela Picozzi at the moment of revealing the auction.
Paris-based auction house Maurice Auction and London-based Kerry Taylor Auctions join forces to hold sales of fashion and couture twice a year. Several world records have been broken so far on these occasions: a “Coromandel” coat by Chanel haute couture was sold for 312,000 euros; a “Victoire/Victory” plastron and skirt by Thierry Mugler fetched 58,500 euros, while a “L’écume des jours” feathery dress by Gaultier recently went for 377,000 euros.
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