There is an allure both literal and almost talismanic about owning an object a pivotal figure has touched, as past auctions of the everyday effects of Joan Didion, Stephen Sondheim and Diane Keaton have demonstrated. That Margiela, unlike those artists, is still alive is not likely to lessen the draw of his belongings, especially since he is no longer making fashion. (In 2021, he pivoted to art.)
Indeed, according to Pirson, the auction was Margiela’s idea, after a 2025 sale of his work as amassed by sibling collectors. That earlier auction, “Martin Margiela: The Early Years, 1988-94,” brought in “10 times more than we expected,” Pirson said. Specifically, it brought in 1,889,000 euros (about $2.158 million, including fees).
“We had a two-hour line during the viewing to enter,” Pirson said. “It was crazy. We were expecting some excitement, but not that much.” At the time, she had contacted the designer to let him know the auction was happening — or at least tried to. “I don’t have his phone number, and he emails reluctantly,” Pirson said. But afterward, he got in touch. (An auction spokeswoman said the designer was, as per usual, not available for interviews about the sale.)
“I think he realized he had so many archives kept in secret in his office for years, and it was of important historical value, but also commercial value,” Pirson said. “If I am Martin Margiela, I see the interest getting crazier and crazier each year, and the amount of money people earning with selling the clothes he designed getting crazier and crazier. He doesn’t have any children, so this is a way to handle his legacy.”
Also, “he has a very good memory,” she said. “He remembers every detail of anything he has done from any period.”
