The Story Behind The Garment: SS1992 White 'Caban' by Maison Martin Margiela
A very special garment has made its way into the MoMu Collection, thanks to Annick Vandecappelle. The personal tale behind this object will be preserved as ‘oral history’ in the museum. Annick worked with Martin Margiela in her own special way and tell us more about her love of this garment
Annick Vandecappelle enjoyed a long career in fashion. She opened shops in Antwerp, such as Starlet and AVe, worked for different fashion labels and was a stylist for Flair and Weekend Knack. These days, Annick Vandecappelle's focus lies on ceramics.
I still remember one of the first pieces I bought from Martin. It was a dress in lining fabric with reverse seams and a woollen skirt with an unravelled hem underneath. On the streets, people stared at me as if I were from Mars. I felt beautiful in a special way when I wore Martin's creations.
"They also felt a bit anarchistic. They weren't exactly garments your mother would love, and the fit was fantastic. The first show when I walked as a model for Martin Margiela was an incredible experience. The show took place in an empty building and we simply walked on the ground. As usual there were too many guests, which meant the models could no longer see the intended route. That caused some chaos, however, at Martin's shows chaos was simply part of the spirit and charm. The most important instruction we were given was not to walk as a model, but to walk 'normally', as you would on the street. With Martin you could just be yourself.”
Maison Martin Margiela, SS 1992 1/3
Maison Martin Margiela, SS 1992 2/3
Maison Martin Margiela, SS 1992 3/3
“This white 'caban' was presented in the 1992 Spring-Summer collection. I was involved as a model in this fashion show in the disused metro station of Saint-Martin in Paris. We walked up and down the underground stairs, which were lit only by candlelight. It was intimate and beautiful, but also rather scary. Imagine there had been a fire? During this show Margiela presented the iconic patchwork silhouettes of vintage silk scarves, whose motifs merged with the body-paint paintings of Inge Grognard."
I cherished this blazer for many years as I simply adore the shoulder line and epaulettes. There's an ingenious system with a ribbon on the inside, allowing you to emphasize the waist at the back but not at the front. The large white painted buttons are also typical of Martin Margiela.