Maison Margiela’s Spring/Summer 1990 show - a reset for luxury fashion

On October 19, 1989, Martin Margiela presented his third collection during Paris Fashion Week. But instead of booking one of the usual fancy venues, he set up the show on a playground in a North-African neighborhood. At a time when fashion shows were ultra-exclusive and hard to access even for insiders, Margiela flipped the script. His front row was filled with local children, and the other seats were given away on a first-come, first-served basis.

Even the show invites broke tradition. Usually reserved for an elite circle, Margiela asked kids to hand-draw the invitations on cardboard. Finding 500 children to do it wasn’t easy, so he handed out stacks of cardboard to local schools and turned the preparation into a real community effort. On the day of the show, the kids not only sat front row—they ended up playing on the runway itself, creating a raw, authentic atmosphere no luxury brand had dared before.

The collection marked a turning point. It signaled the end of loud, maximalist fashion and opened the door to a new minimalism—one that was stripped down but still rich in meaning.

One person deeply impacted by the show was Raf Simons, who attended as a student with his mentor Walter van Beirendonck. At the time, Raf was torn between a future in architecture or fashion. Seeing Margiela’s show made his decision clear. Raf later said this was the show that changed his life and completely redefined what fashion could be.