Maison Margiela’s Dolls

Set against dark lighting and creaky floorboards, the Maison Margiela Artisanal Spring 2024 show brought an eerie doll exhibit to life. Models stumbled down the runway with stilted steps, as if they were learning how to walk for the first time after a period of dormancy. The models looked like dolls from the 1920s, with skin glossy like porcelain glass and thin eyebrows. Pat McGrath, the iconic artist behind the makeup of the show, created a viral moment on social media with her technique of emulating porcelain skin. Her work from the show could stand on its own, but combined with the vision of Galliano, the two artists tell a story. 

Maison Margiela has gradually brought theatrics back to the runway for the past couple of seasons, most recognizably with model Leon Dame stomping with a hunched back for SS20 or models sassily walking with a hand perched on the hip for its 2023 Co-Ed collection. This spring’s most recent show did not fall short of model acting. 

The models came down the runway surveying the room full of spectators, as if taking in their environment for the first time. Audience members sitting in the front row unwittingly participated in the spectacle as the models interacted with them, gesturing or making direct eye contact with the guests. The reversal of roles between the audience and actors ultimately gave the models or “dolls” some power over themselves. The interactions were quite subtle, allowing room for the intricacies and splendor of the designs to shine, yet it almost felt like these dolls stumbled upon unexpected guests of their home and covered their bodies out of embarrassment. 

As the dolls came to life, they found their footing to gain authority rather than passively act through an external force, like one model who kept her hands up from muscle memory as if a ventriloquist was still controlling her strings. Some of them appeared wound up in plastic, or they tried to hide what the clothes did not cover with their arms. The runway was the dolls’ first chance after nearly a century to perform on their own. Given this long period of inactivity, they were slightly unkempt; some of the designs incorporated merkins sewn onto the dresses. Following the year of Barbie in 2023, it is almost as if these dolls overheard the hype and wanted to join the club, but did not know how to adapt to today’s world. 

The disheveled look applied to a multitude of pieces highlighted the theme of rebellion, a key influence within Galliano’s craft. Defying societal standards of perfection and “norms” of the runway, the dolls gained sovereignty over their bodies. The dolls, like their clothing, came from an era nearly 100 years prior. The viewer might have found the designs reminiscent of the French Victorian way of dress, a typical signature of Galliano’s and a nod to the city of Paris. Galliano took advantage of this era to create high-collared dresses, accentuated shoulders, cinched waists, and fascinator hats to nod to the wealth of the 1920s elite. One hundred years later, the dolls awoke and explored the dim catacombs of Paris, letting curiosity guide them down the runway.

The most memorable looks included exaggerated hip pads that in turn highlight a slim waist, like the silhouette of an old-fashioned doll, but mixed with sheer and dark fabrics. One look featured a satin blue and white pinstripe blouse layered underneath a mesh corset that cinched in the waist to form a billowing effect of gathered fabric. Styled with gleaming skin and curled hair, the look showed how Margiela ensured every aspect of the styling aligned cohesively. Some models did not appear as dolls, but as extraterrestrials, introducing an element of the otherworldly to the show. Although the alien’s neon colors created a jarring contrast against the muted appearance of the rest of the looks, Galliano perhaps commented on the oppressive standards of beauty from this time. When we conform to them, we end up stripping ourselves of our humanity and become more uncanny.

While the show’s creators devoted attention to every aspect of the set, makeup, and styling, Maison Margiela’s signature motifs got lost in production. The designs were too self-referential on Galliano’s part, letting his previous work as Creative Director of Dior overpower the Margiela name. The corsets, while a signature piece for the Margiela haute couture brand, took more liberty in variation and ultimately looked more like Dior’s classic “New Look '' silhouette. While this show featured Margiela’s signature theatrical acting, the designs did not include the typical minimalist and deconstructive characteristics of Maison Margiela as an established fashion house. It would take a skilled eye to find Margiela’s DNA within any of the designs. 

The show brought opulence to the runway, something it has lacked for an extended period of time. While Galliano recreated the extravagance of the 1920s, it also proved that this grandeur has a place in the fashion industry a century later. The show’s magnificence stems not from Galliano’s designs, but from the entire production. Theatricality and dramatics were prevalent themes for this show, and perhaps Margiela will be the house that influences other fashion houses to follow suit in the near future. The house took a risk with this show as they could have easily relied on celebrity guests or solely exaggerated acting to generate a viral moment, but Galliano’s designs and artistry ultimately created a historical moment in fashion, integrating maximalism and storytelling back into haute couture.