Tulle is one fabric you’re bound to see a lot of at the couture shows, usually in the form of a princess skirt or a sheer, hand-sequined gown. Of course, such traditional fare isn t really on the menu at Maison Margiela. At the label’s Artisanal show this morning, John Galliano and his team reimagined tulle completely, thanks in part to a collaboration with textile artist Benjamin Shine. One dress was crafted from sheer tulle with a surreal face “scribbled” in yarn on the front, with a rainbow spilling out of its open mouth. (Might this be the first couture nod to a Snapchat filter?) Another gown in draped red tulle with an intricate crochet overlay was just as special, and perhaps more real-life-wearable, too. Here, Maison Margiela shares exclusive behind-the-scenes photos of the dress, plus the details of how it was meticulously crafted.
According to the atelier, this dress took 30 Margiela workers 2,000 hours to complete. To put that in perspective, that’s 250 eight-hour workdays. The crochet stitches were delicately hand-knitted with fine cotton yarn, then placed into figurative designs across the bodice and skirt. The combination of humble beige yarn, bright red tulle, gold gloves, a décortiqués (or “peeled”) hat, and paint-smeared Tabi boots adds up to everything a Margiela look should be: eclectic, high-low, and just slightly unfinished. While you wait for Sarah Mower’s review, click through our exclusive backstage and detail shots in the slideshow above.
