Who is Martin Margiela?

To me, he used to epitomize the eccentricity in fashion mythology; a Mugatu-esque figure that’s sent down more wtf’s than any of his contemporaries combined, shit that’s completely nonfunctional, unwearable and borderline ridiculous.

But you grow up and you learn and I will be the first to admit: I was wrong.

He’s an innovator, from whom many designers seek inspiration. He’s a recluse, to whom no one has ever given and interview. And he is, quite frankly, exactly what fashion is all about.

Since Susannah Frankel from The Independent does such a swell job at explaining the Margiela enigma, I’ll let you read the article and discover why M. Mar-tehn (soft ‘n’) Mar-zhee-lah is marvelous. But I will leave you with look from his fall 2008 collection, courtesy of Style.com