Martin Margiela at Hermès, 1997 to 2003: The Quiet Years
Martin Margiela at Hermès, 1997 to 2003: The Quiet Years
From 1997 to 2003, Martin Margiela designed two very different collections at once: his own deconstructed, experimental Maison Martin Margiela, and the women's ready-to-wear of Hermès, the most classic house in Paris. The Hermès years are now seen as some of his best work. Coveti carries the current Maison Margiela collection. That spirit is closest in the Cashmere Coat in Dark Blue and our knitwear edit.
Quick answer
- When: 1997 to 2003, women's ready-to-wear.
- Who chose him: Jean-Louis Dumas, then chairman and artistic director of Hermès.
- The style: quiet luxury before the phrase existed: double-faced cashmere, wrap coats, wide trousers, no visible branding.
- After him: Jean Paul Gaultier, his former employer, took over Hermès womenswear.
- Exhibition: Margiela, the Hermès Years, MoMu Antwerp, 2017.
An unlikely match
Many in fashion doubted it. Margiela was known for linings worn outside and garments made from socks; Hermès for perfect leather and silk. Dumas saw a designer obsessed with how clothes are made and worn, which is what a house of craftsmen needed.
What he made
His Hermès was about comfort and time: clothes designed to be worn for years, in the best materials, with the luxury inside. Double-faced cashmere coats with no lining, wrap garments that could be tied different ways and a muted palette of camel, grey, navy and white.
The exhibition
MoMu, the fashion museum in Antwerp, staged Margiela, the Hermès Years from March to August 2017, with Martin Margiela as artistic director. It showed his Hermès pieces beside his own label's work from the same years, then travelled to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.
The Hermès years in today's Margiela
The quiet side of the house still exists. The Cashmere Coat in Dark Blue, the Wool Cashmere Crewneck in Ecru and the Wool Tailored Trousers in Ecru are close to that Hermès spirit. Read who is Martin Margiela and brands like Maison Margiela.
Maison Margiela at a glance
| Founded | 1988, Paris, by Martin Margiela and Jenny Meirens |
| Creative director | Glenn Martens, since January 2025 (after Martin Margiela to 2009 and John Galliano, 2014 to 2024) |
| Owner | OTB, the Italian group founded by Renzo Rosso, majority owner since 2002 |
| Signatures | The four white stitches, the blank numbered label, the Tabi split toe, deconstruction, Artisanal remade garments |
| Lines | Artisanal (couture), the main collection, and MM6 Maison Margiela, launched in 1997 |
| Made in | Most ready-to-wear is made in Italy; a few pieces are made in France |
| Sizes at Coveti | Italian sizes IT 36 to 50 (UK 4 to 18), letter sizes XS to XXL for knitwear, waist sizes for jeans |
Frequently asked questions
Did Martin Margiela design for Hermès?
Yes. He designed Hermès women's ready-to-wear from 1997 to 2003 while running his own house.
Who replaced Martin Margiela at Hermès?
Jean Paul Gaultier took over Hermès womenswear after Margiela left in 2003.
What was Margiela, the Hermès Years?
An exhibition at MoMu in Antwerp in 2017 that showed his Hermès work beside his own label. It then travelled to Paris.
What did Margiela design at Hermès?
Quiet, long-lasting womenswear in double-faced cashmere and fine wool, with wrap shapes and no visible branding.
Why did Hermès choose Martin Margiela?
Jean-Louis Dumas, then head of Hermès, admired his focus on how clothes are made and worn.
Read next: who is Martin Margiela, Galliano at Margiela, brands like Maison Margiela.
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