Glenn Martens reinterprets the mask at Maison Margiela Artisanal 2025

Glenn Martens made his debut as creative director of Maison Margiela at Centquatre-Paris with the Artisanal 2025 collection, paying homage to founder Martin Margiela's legacy of the mask. The collection featured unexpected mask variations, including full crystal coverings, gold chain and crystal veils, hand-hammered tin boxes resembling grandmother's houses, and fine macramé applications with a three-dimensional gradient effect. This continues the brand's tradition of anonymity and logo rejection, as established by Margiela in his Spring/Summer 1993 show where models' features were obscured by cotton muslin. The mask has a long history in fashion, from Elsa Schiaparelli's surrealism to Iris van Herpen, Rick Owens, and Richard Quinn, serving as both accessory and metaphor for alienation. Pirandello viewed the mask as man's truth, with different masks for family, society, and work. The article also promotes Artribune's newsletters and affiliated book sales.