Autumn/Winter 2008 marked the 20th anniversary of Maison Martin Margiela, and Sébastien Meunier celebrated with a stunning menswear collection presented in an intimate showroom in Paris. Twenty models, with their eyes obscured by the L’incognito sunglasses, each held a newspaper printed with their respective look.

Central to the maison’s practice is the use of materials with a past life, objects that carry traces of wear and time. In this collection, Meunier leans into urban and industrial motifs. Barbed wire, tape, and bricks are lifted from the city and reworked into garments and accessories, appearing as necklaces, tank tops, belt hardware, and prints across tailoring. These overlooked elements introduce a raw, abrasive quality, echoing Margiela’s preference for the threadbare.

Within this approach, Meunier carefully balances the two opposing ends of masculinity. Rugged, workwear-inspired looks were presented alongside a more exaggerated, polished expression of menswear. Slip-on workboots and utilitarian tailoring are contrasted with snakeskin-printed velvet and broadened shoulders. We also got to witness a “faithful” reinterpretation of Michael Jackson’s 1983 Thriller jacket, where the original inverted triangle was recreated in printed tape to form an “M”.

The season also produced some of the rarest footwear from the Martin era, including GATs and Western boots finished with hand-painted skull motifs and released in limited editions of 100. Seen in Look 1 and beyond, ours is tagged 37 out of 100 in a rare size 41.