Case Study: Maison Martin Margiela VS YSL, & More

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One way to differentiate between the greats and the novice is through detailing. I love looking at the detailed pictures and seeing how the fabric is manipulated; where the lines are placed; and how these small things add to the ensemble as a whole. One of the thing I love about Stefano Pilati is his ability to make pictures quietly screaming minimalism. It's that deafening pitch where you can't hear it but it impacts you. Or at least for me, this is the case. From afar, his pieces are strung together with a fluidity of bareness, no elaborate flashes of juxtaposed fabric mediums that makes it uncomfortable to the eye. Everything just seems to fit, like it belong with a certain elegance. It's a woman of confidence that knows that in the world, you don't need much, and less is more. (Ironic, however, you need money for this minimalism. haha).

But in regards to this sleeve, I love the black lining of it and the sliver that exposes the arm almost to the shoulder. It's sort of poetic because the ensembles carry a serious tone, along with the mood that's given from the presentation of the models, but the sliver provides a playful tone to it - a certain vulnerability. In most conservative cultures, excess skin is not encouraged, but this creeping line accentuates the playfulness of femininity. I just love the complication of Pilati's pieces and the quiet decadence that's intertwined with the pieces.

This can also be seen in the sunglasses that went along with the collection. It reminded me of Maison Martin Margiela's blackmarker sunglasses from Spring 2008 collection, but it's a little more personal than Margiela's. Where Margiela's sunglasses are supposed to eradicate the personal by totally wiping out the eye (this is how most identity are removed, "black marker across the eye"), Pilati's YSL sunglasses adds character to the wearer. The nose is given more exposure and the eyes are given more individual shape than the (Margiela's) bare rectangle that crosses the face. While Margiela's woman are more defined by the clothes, YSL's sunglasses attribute to the personal of its wearer in conjunction with the clothes.

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(Maison Martin Margiela)


(Yves Saint Laurent)


Source: Maison Martin Margiela Spring 2008 | Yves Saint Laurent Fall 2008