MM6 Maison Martin Margiela x Opening Ceremony Fall 2011 Ready-to-Wear Collection on Style.com: Runway Review

MM6 Maison Martin Margiela x Opening Ceremony

NEW YORK, February 13, 2011

By Maya Singer

A designer's decision on how to stage a show—on a catwalk or as a presentation—is often an arbitrary one. In the case of today's debut of Maison Martin Margiela's collaborative effort with the hip retailer Opening Ceremony, however, the staging had a clear underlying logic. The clothes and accessories that comprise the capsule were on display, and could be handled and studied, but it was essential that models also come out wearing the looks, not so they be shown, but because they had to be demonstrated. The first-ever Margiela brand collaboration features adaptable looks—20 in total, or 60 if you split them into their component parts—and they work together in nearly numberless ways. The easy way to explain the concept is, essentially: things that fit over other things.

One example: a fitted, quilted leather bomber with short sleeves and its partner, a shiny nylon jacket with sleeves that matched the bomber leather. Each piece could be worn separately, or they could be put together for a seamless look. For that matter, they could be slotted together with other looks; the nylon bomber lining, for instance, looked rather smart underneath a chubby faux fur with sleeves cut off at the same length as the bomber.

It would be impossible to catalog all the possibilities for mix-and-match here, but suffice to say that the collection was as chic as it was clever. A particularly strong coordinated set comprised a short, matte satin cocktail dress with a knit turtleneck collar, and a drapey V-neck T-shirt dress that could be worn over it, or alone. Another was the cable-knit vests and fitted knit dresses with cabled sleeves that could be combined to color-block, or to create a seamless Aran sweater effect. (And so on, ad infinitum.) The accessories were also particularly good—simple stack-heel boots that married with matching leather stirrup spats, and a truly all-in-one tote bag with exterior pockets that snapped off to make a coin purse and a clutch. The folks at MM6 haven't yet decided whether this collaboration is a one-off or if it will be a recurring effort. Here's hoping that by the time customers have mastered the possibilities of this collection, there'll be another one in the works.

See all from MM6 Maison Martin Margiela x Opening Ceremony › Timeline

F2011RTW

A.F. Vandevorst	Acne	ADAM
A Détacher	Akris	Alberta Ferretti
Albino	Alexander McQueen	Alexander Wang
Alexandre Herchcovitch	Alexis Mabille	Alice + Olivia
Altuzarra	Andrew Gn	Anna Sui
Ann Demeulemeester	Anne Valérie Hash	Ann-Sofie Back Atelje
Anthony Vaccarello	Antonio Berardi	Antonio Marras
Aquascutum	Aquilano.Rimondi	Araks
Azzaro

Badgley Mischka	Balenciaga	Bally
Balmain	Banana Republic	Band of Outsiders
Barbara Bui	Barbara Tfank	Basso & Brooke
BCBG Max Azria	Behnaz Sarafpour	Bensoni
Betsey Johnson	Betty Jackson	Bibhu Mohapatra
Bill Blass	Blumarine	Bodkin
Bottega Veneta	Brioni	Burberry Prorsum

Cacharel	Calvin Klein Collection	Carlos Miele
Carolina Herrera	Carven	Celine
Central Saint Martins	Chado Ralph Rucci	Chadwick Bell
Chalayan	Chanel	Charles Anastase
Charlotte Ronson	Chloé	Chris Benz
Christian Cota	Christian Dior	Christian Siriano
Christophe Lemaire	Christopher Kane	Christopher Raeburn
Clements Ribeiro	Collette Dinnigan	Comme des Garçons
Commuun	Costello Tagliapietra	Costume National
Creatures of the Wind	Cushnie et Ochs	Custo Barcelona
Cynthia Rowley	Cynthia Steffe

D&G	Damir Doma	Danielle Scutt
Daryl K	David Koma	Dax Gabler
Dennis Basso	Derek Lam	Diane von Furstenberg
Diesel Black Gold	DKNY	Dolce & Gabbana
Donna Karan	Doo.Ri	Douglas Hannant
Dries Van Noten	Dsquared²	Duro Olowu

Edun	Elie Saab	Elie Tahari
Elise Øverland	Emanuel Ungaro	Emilio de la Morena
Emilio Pucci	Emporio Armani	Erdem
Erin Fetherston	Etro