Abandoned Saint-Martin Métro station 20, Boulevard Saint-Martin, Paris, 10th Arrondissement. October 17, 1991, 7:00 p.m.
The Saint-Martin station is one of 16 "ghost" stations of the Paris Métro. It was closed on September 2, 1939, reopened after the Liberation, and then shut down permanently in the 196os because of its proximity to the Strasbourg-Saint-Denis station. On October 17, 1991, it was the venue for Martin Margiela's show. Thousands of glazed tiles — reputed to be the most beautiful in Paris were illuminated by more than 1,600 candles affixed to the rusted handrails.
Martin Margiela did not care for prints and rarely used them. Yet prints were the main theme of this collection, thanks to the vintage scarves with multicolored patterns in shades of pastel, white, or black transformed by the "artisanal" studio into crossover tops, wide-sleeve shrugs, and apron-skirts. Ironically, the trove of salvaged scarves added hundreds of diverse prints to the collection, more than any textile company could have supplied. Some of the patterns extended beyond the garment, painted by Margiela himself directly onto the models' stomachs, arms, and shoulders. Intentionally creased to emphasize their original condition, the scarves were presented to clients in small bundles, wrapped in scraps of scarf material to preserve their creases.
Made from a mosaic of scarves, Margielas "artisanal" creations received a great deal of attention from the press, who praised the designer's first —albeit vintage —prints.
