In 2008, after a show celebrating the 20th anniversary of his fashion house, Maison Margiela, visionary designer Martin Margiela left the fashion world for good. Throughout his career, the Belgian designer remained anonymous, refusing interviews and never being photographed, leading some to call him the fashion world’s answer to Banksy. Now, more than a decade after his departure, Margiela digs into his meticulous and idiosyncratic personal archives to reflect on his revolutionary career and legacy.

In the early 1990s, fashion reflected the times. It was sombre, desperate and sometimes violent. Clothing underwent deconstruction and recycling, and fashion shows became fashion performances. Fashion would never be the same again.