[4] Known for deconstructive and avant-garde designs with unconventional materials,[2] Maison Margiela has traditionally held live shows in unusual settings, for example empty metro stations[5] and street corners.

[13][8] Among other influences, during the 1980s Margiela and other Belgian designers such as the Antwerp Six were inspired by deconstructive fashions introduced by Japanese avantgardists such as Rei Kawakubo—creator of the label Comme des Garçons.

[14] Margiela began utilizing the deconstructive style in the 1980s[15] while a freelance designer in Milan, Italy,[16] and early on his work would often reveal the garments’ structure, for example intentionally exposed linings and seams.

"[20] In 1994 the New York Times commented on the company's influence by writing that its "made-over flea-market clothes put an end to the conspicuous consumption [of the fashion industry] of the 1980s."

[2] In 2002, Maison Martin Margiela was acquired by the OTB Group,a holding company led by Renzo Rosso, also owner of the Italian fashion label Diesel.

"[25] Giving rare interviews in the interim,[26] Galliano presented his debut collection for Maison Margiela in January 2015, to broadly positive reviews.

[25] In 2017, Maison Margiela collaborated with outerwear maker Mackintosh to create two exclusive trenchcoat designs for its spring 2018 men’s wear collection, including a white version.

[20] By the summer of 2008 there were 14 Margiela boutiques operating internationally, with expansion in Dubai, Hong Kong, Moscow and Munich taking place over the subsequent six months.

[3] With formal allegiance to no particular fashion movement,[19] Maison Margiela's designs are famous for deconstructionist traits[13] such as exposed seams, being oversized and upcycling garments.

[2] In 1994 Maison Margiela debuted its first period pieces, with a line of "complete reproductions," after building its previous collection entirely from its archives.

[6] New York MAgazine in turn described the designs as "quiet explorations of luxury that focused on classic clothes with subtle but masterful twists.

[34] In November 2008, Maison Margiela launched a small jewelry and eyewear collection including its first pair of sunglasses, described as "an impenetrable black band that wraps right around the face.

Willow Smith, Teddy Quinlivan, Hanne Gaby Odiele, Sasha Lane, Princess Nokia and Molly Bair were chosen as “Mutinist” ambassadors, representing the diversity and individuality of the fragrance.

[38] Maison Margiela is known for showcasing collections in atypical settings and manners,[6] with The New York Times describing the shows as "alternately electrifying or humorous or sexy or just plain weird.

"[33] Continuing to stage catwalks in unusual places, in spring 1992 a show in an abandoned Paris metro station featured models walking down staircases lined with candles,[5] and according to The Independent, other settings have included round dining tables arranged in neglected warehouses, stairwells of old town houses, and disused subway cars.

"[13] 1993 also saw a show with models weaving among a brass band on the runway,[17] and in 1994 the label staged a collection based on what Barbie’s wardrobe would look like full size.

[2] The house then held its 20th anniversary show in September 2008[39] in Paris,[10] featuring a catwalk with a walking birthday cake and "an oom-pah band surrounded by Margiela's lab-coated assistants.

[40] The spring show of 2014 "melded sweet, pioneer styles like floral house dresses with edgier fare like nude bodysuits and oversize Willy Wonka sunglasses.

The second collection comprised 30 outfits including neon accessors, "Mary-Jane shoes and fake-fur slippers, short skirts, long coats, patent finishes.

[43] In September 2016, Maison Margiela partnered with Barneys New York for its fall windows on Madison Avenue, creating four vignettes to reflect the house's recent artisans and ready-to-wear collections.

[47] The Fashion Museum Province of Antwerp (MoMu) held a retrospective on the label's work in 2008,[19] moving the exhibit to Somerset House in London two years later.

[48] In early 2015 filmmaker Alison Chernick released The Artist is Absent, a short biopic on Martin Margiela that launched at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Co-produced by Aminata and Holzemer (who had previously worked on a documentary by Dries Van Noten), it was called "the definitive study of this elusive, technically gifted designer" in Hollywood Reporter.