As Oscilloscope Laboratories’ Dan Berger says, “Documentary….but make it fashion.” O-scope is set to send innovative fashion designer Martin Margiela down the cinematic runway. The company founded by Beastie Boys member Adam Yauch has acquired the North American rights to the documentary Martin Margiela: In His Own Words which puts the spotlight on the elusive Belgian designer. O-scope will release the feature later this year.
Directed by Reiner Holzemer, the docu premiered at 2019 DOC NYC. The film features interviews with Margiela — a man who almost never appeared in public let alone talked to press. From Jean Paul Gaultier’s assistant to creative director at Hermes to leading his own brand, stayed considerably hidden as he reinvented fashion with his radical style for over twenty years through 41 provocative collections. His pieces are defined by a tag that features a grid of numbers and he has been dubbed the “Banksy of fashion”. He is often associated with a fashion collective of forward-thinking designers known as the Antwerp Six which includes Walter Van Beirendonck, Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Van Saene, Dirk Bikkembergs and Marina Yee. The docu pulls the curtain back on his life and gives a first-time look at his drawings, notes, and personal items, giving an exclusive peek to his vision and career.
In His Own Words also features interviews with Gaultier, former editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris Csrine Roitfeld, Trend Forecaster Lidewij Edelkoort, Fashion Critic Cathy Horyn, and fashion historian Olivier Saillard. The film was produced by Reiner Holzemer and Aminata Sambe.