Martin Margiela

Though graduating just ahead of the Antwerp Six, Martin Margiela shared their London van expedition spirit and reshaped global fashion by rejecting its traditional vanity. Founding Maison Martin Margiela in 1988 with Jenny Meirens, he pioneered radical deconstruction through exposed garment linings, repurposed flea-market textiles, and the legendary split-toe Tabi boot. By refusing personal photographs, deploying models in face-covering veils, and substituting branding with four blank white corner stitches, Margiela elevated conceptual clothing into a pure communal art form.