To John Galliano, Maison Margiela’s creative director, design is a narrative, a story-telling. “Nothing thrills me more than to be outside in the moonlight,” said John Galliano. Through Maison Margiela’s newest film A Folk Horror Tale that presents the 2021 Artisanal co-ed collection, we can surely discover his inspirations from time and nature.

In the moonlight, women scream, people fight, and mysterious alchemy is going on. As a transformative process that challenges science and time, driven by human instinct, alchemy aspires to alter the forces of nature.  

A take on aggression, the film is indeed beautiful and poetic. The film’s narrative is woven into the collection itself, depicted in motifs in the lining of garments, the embroideries of knits, and the adornments of boots. Through the grammar of haute couture, the quest is expressed in the alternative notion of neo-alchemy: the search for authenticity through scientific transmutations of shapes and textures of familiar garments realized through harmonious dialogue with the natural elements. It brings you in the desires of a new utopian youth that connects to the circles of life, time and nature. 

Maison Margiela’s own alchemistic process is shown in the predominant silhouettes, textures and palette of the collection. A new technique, Essorage, is introduced. Garments are created in sizes up to eight to twelve times their regular proportion and decreased through enzymes and stonewashing until they reach the right dimension. The technique determined the palette of the collection – colors informed by the Dutch Renaissance become discolored as if touched by the forces of nature and time: thunderous, windswept, and maritime; lavender, peach, sage, light blue and ecru are contrasted by navy, dark greens, greys and black; delft blue appears in patterns. 

The highlighting piece in the collection is the hand-made stained mirror fragment dress with leather lacing. It’s a piece created withHélène Vitali. Jewelry has been handmade as well.  Evoking age-old shipwrecked glass found on beaches, they are made from broken antique bottles, which have undergone enzyme and sand treatments for a translucid look. Besides gripping handcrafted pieces, you’ll also see accessories, from The Recicla Tabi Clog Wader, The Tabi Clog Sandal to  Maison Margiela’s signature handbag, the Glam Slam. 

Watch the film to discover Maison Margiela’s Artisanal 2021 collection here: