Maison Martin Margiela, Couture, AW11.

This semester we dove head first into the world of tailoring.
Prior to this, I myself have had no education on the topic and now I can see why. .

The technicalities which go behind the shiny lining of a bespoke tailored jacket are enough to drive me out of this course. The simple reason behind this is because I am not a technical sewer. This semester would have been a breeze if this was the case, but it is not, and the last few months have definitely not been a breeze.
I decided to get on board and force myself to be a tailor for the past 4 months. In doing this I have researched, listened, read, watched, admired and done my very best to absorb the talent and wisdom of those who lead the way .. (Jo, Karen, Gaultier, Clem etc).
There is an incredible process involved in building the structure of a jacket. We saw this in our “generic” tailored jacket...and that is just a generic jacket!
I have developed a strong appreciation for a well made tailored jacket.

For this blog entry I want to share with you the fine details within the seams of Margiela’s couture Autumn Winter 2011 collection. The Margiela team put the structure on display this season and I don’t say that lightly. Making use of delicate sheer layers of fabrics such as Silk Organza, you can see everything completely visible from the outside of the garment. It is a delicious sandwich of the guts of Margiela’s bespoke jackets - which couldn’t be more relevant to us than this moment!
If you look at the images I have attached, you can pin point the elements we have been taught in class. Everything is on display. The darts and seams of Canvas are joined with stripes of fusing to hold the shape not so dissimilar to what some of us have been slaving away on for assessment. Looking through the shiny transparent folds you can see the varying thicknesses of canvas that create the shape of the front chest panels and the lapel. Horsehair has been hand sewn to hold the structural shape. Take note of the Herringbone stitch we were taught in our studio class. You can see the specific areas where fusing has been used to ensure the shape is held. 

I came across these images and could not go past them without sharing them with the rest of our Sartorial Integrity class. As the semester comes close to the end, I can safely say that I am still not a tailor. But I have learnt many techniques that will be extremely useful for the following years in this course.

images from
Catwalk images from Vogue.co.uk». 

Tyrone