>> Rumors have been swirling around Martin Margiela for almost a year now — but is it all just a ruse put into play by the designer himself?  

First, it was reported last September that he was exiting fashion imminently; by March of this year, despite company execs assuring that the designer was still in place, critics were convinced that Margiela had left the building.  And last week, T posited that Haider Ackermann may be taking Margiela's place.  

But now, Hint reports:

While rumors are brewing that Haider Ackermann may be Martin Margiela's successor, sources close to the elusive Belgian insist that this is one of his elaborate hoaxes. Whatever the case, we hear the incognito king was at the Los Angeles boutique not long ago waiting on unsuspecting costumers.

It sounds like Margiela is still in place at the company if he's waiting on customers at one of his boutiques — so maybe the hoax doesn't just involve the Ackermann rumor, but encompasses the entire supposed exit . . .