Overview
- The sale, which opened Thursday, July 9, 2026, brings more than 200 lots from 1984–2008 to Maurice Auction in Paris and includes sketches, prototypes, runway miniatures and the white cotton apron he wore in the atelier.
- Margiela personally supervised the sale and said he decided to let go of part of his memorabilia to ‘make happy several collectors and institutions,’ signaling a deliberate effort to manage his legacy.
- About 60 Hermès garments, bags, shoes and accessories that Margiela gifted to his late mother are included, linking his private archive to his years as Hermès creative director from 1997–2003.
- Public interest was high, with reports of thousands lining up to view the preview, and auctioneers expect strong competition from Japanese buyers, private collectors and museums bidding in person and online.
- The lots—from graffiti-scrawled Tabi boots to Barbie dolls used as miniature mannequins—offer intimate traces of Margiela’s process and could prompt new museum acquisitions and renewed market focus on process-oriented fashion artifacts.