Coutorture correspondent and all-around great gal, Brigitte Nicole, catches the last weeks of the Martin Margiela Retrospective in Antwerp. Her report and photos for our viewing pleasure...

Forever keeping a hidden identity, Martin Margiela has been compared to likes of literary recluse JD Salinger and faceless graffiti artist Banksy. His design house dissolves the notion of one celebritized designer to a team who simply refer to themselves as “we”.  These democratic workings are esteemed to further conceptual levels by combining them with a breaking of systemized rules--sale associates in white lab coats, long blonde locks transformed into shoulder-heavy jackets, erratic numbering to designate different collections, and unusual materials reworked with Savile-Row quality tailoring.

Founded in 1988, a time where the fashion world was ruled by celebrities and super models, Margiela kept his scope limited to fashion and fashion alone. Emerging out of Antwerp, where he attended fashion design at Royal Academy of Arts, he moved to Paris, working as Jean Paul Gaultier’s assistant until he created a house to carry his name. This past October marked 20 years, and to celebrate, a retrospective depicting 23 dominant themes at the house were displayed at Antwerp's MoMu. The exhibition still stands through February, but for those who do not have extra air miles to Antwerp...