GO GLOBAL WITH MAISON MARGIELA: TURKEY
Across four continents, Maison Margiela x Reebok’s latest collaboration is essential for exploring roads less traveled
Maison Margiela joins forces with American sportswear brand Reebok for a sneaker collaboration you never thought you needed. Using the concept of decortiqué that is so integral to the luxury haute couture’s brand identity, Maison Margiela reinterprets Reebok’s 1985 Classic Leather runner into the Classic Leather Tabi High, a new high-top leather trainer. Decortiqué is a technical process pioneered by the French fashion house, whereby a garment is deconstructed to its core structural elements.
By employing this technique, Creative Director John Galliano exposes the shoe’s innermost architecture to dig at the brand’s true authenticity. Available in four different color schemes, each iteration of the Classic Leather Tabi High embodies a different personality, yet simultaneously exhibits the innate, adventurous nature of both brands. Photographed in four separate cities by—Sydney, Tokyo, Cape Town and Turkey—the shoe morphs into the attitude of each city. The second destination touches down in the rocky terrain of Erpe, Turkey, where the Classic Leather Tabi High’s technical grip isn’t just preferable, it’s anon-negotiable essential.
VMAGAZINE spoke with Turkey’s location photographer, Emre Unal about their process, see below for the full interview:
VMAGAZINE: How did you interpret this collection, and what did you set out to capture besides the collection itself?
Emre Unal: I interpreted the collection as distinctive and forceful. While I was capturing, I wanted to reflect the character and the power of the collection as I saw it.
V: What resonates with you about the specific location you chose to shoot? Can you describe it?
EU: I had experienced this location on previous shoots. This specific setting is different each time because the rocks surrounding the location are in the continuous process of natural formation. This makes the location distinct to a certain moment in time and would reflect the essence of the collection.
V: If you had to summarize the collection in a few words, how would you describe it?
EU: Avant-garde, daring, unconventional.
V: What was your creative process like? What was inspiring to you or challenging?
EU: My creative process required a personal understanding of the collection and to capture images that truly reflect this understanding. I chose the location and framed the shots with the nature of the collection as the focus. Both the functionality and the artistic manner of the collection inspired me to create images that would embrace its distinction.
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