An open-air showcase of 58 couture looks kicks off a multi-city tour across China.
A Street-Level Retrospective
Maison Margiela has opened “Artisanal: Our Creative Laboratory” on Yan Dang Road in Shanghai, turning the street into an immersive exhibition space. The open-air installation presents 58 couture looks spanning the house’s history, offering a rare chance to see archival and recent pieces together outside of a traditional gallery setting.
Exploring the Foundations of Artisanal
The exhibition centers on the Artisanal line, which defines Margiela’s approach to couture through experimentation and transformation. The display is organized into themes like upcycling, deconstruction and trompe l’oeil, highlighting how the house reworks materials and familiar forms into something entirely new. Pieces range from early designs like the 1989 porcelain plate waistcoat to more recent runway garments.
A Traveling Project Across China
Set inside industrial shipping containers that reference the brand’s recent Shanghai runway show, the exhibition also marks the start of the “MaisonMargiela/folders” initiative. After Shanghai, the project will move to Beijing, Chengdu and Shenzhen, each stop focusing on different elements of the house’s identity while continuing to build on the same experimental framework.
