AW00 Maison Martin Margiela Artisanal Reworked Patched Denim

“The traces of the passage of time help us to continue to build while remembering that often, it is better to replace than to simply add. We also use our archive on a constant basis yet not as a milestone but more a diary, a journal, a moment in time that may be returned to bring forward in all of its pertinence to today or tomorrow.” — Maison Martin Margiela for CREAM Issue 09, 2008.

Since its founding in 1988, Maison Martin Margiela has hoarded found garments, accessories, and surplus or second-hand items from different provenances and reworking them into entirely new creations. 

Known as the Artisanal line, it is created entirely by hand by Martin and 6 other team members in the quiet of the Paris atelier. Pieces take five to six days to complete, others far longer and production runs are extremely limited with no two pieces are ever the same. The artisanal label is marked with a ‘0’ or ‘0 10’.

Twice a year, the Artisanal line is shown on the Paris haute couture calendar, judged by the same standards of craft while presenting a different vision of value.

Martin’s Artisanal work is widely studied for its radical approach to materiality and anonymous authorship. The emphasis is not on wealthy patrons but on the reclamation and reactivation of what already exists. Refashioned pieces make visible the atelier’s conceptual methods, repositioning couture as an act of détournement that questions luxury while meeting its demands for precision and skill.

After the departures of Martin Margiela and Matthieu Blazy, the Artisanal line continued under new creative direction. John Galliano, who arrived in 2014, brought theatrical showmanship to the runway while preserving the workshop’s meticulous material practice. In 2025, Glenn Martens took the helm, bringing his own material instincts while paying homage to timeless Margiela classic tropes. 

This pair of washed denim from Autumn Winter 2000 features a reconstructed front, removed back pockets and patch, and a trompe l'oeil pleat iron in. 

Measurements:

Waist 38cm

Length 90cm

Front rise 29cm 

Inseam 67cm 

Thighs 26cm

Hem 21cm