For Maison Margiela, Ebisu in Tokyo is a place with deep sentimental significance. The brand opened its first store there in September 2000. This first store—the brand’s very first—was neither in Paris nor in Antwerp, but rather a standalone house located a short way off Komazawa-dori in Ebisu.
A room painted white, mannequins covered in plastic, staff in white coats… There are probably some fashion lovers for whom that scene—which hardly looks like a boutique—is etched in their memory.
A photo of the interior taken in 2000, when the restaurant was still located in a single-family home.
The Ebisu store, “Maison Margiela Tokyo,” relocated in 2006. It moved to a building about a 5-minute walk from its former location, which had originally been a factory for manufacturing electrical control equipment.
He renovated the space using his own unique approach—painting the interior white and bringing in the bathtub from that house and furnishings he’d picked up at a flea market. It’s said that Martin Margiela himself visited upon its completion to celebrate the reopening.
And to think that this year marks exactly 20 years since the move—time really does fly.
2006
2009
2019
2024
2026
To mark this milestone, a multifaceted project focusing on “Maison Margiela Tokyo” will be launched.
This is Chapter 2 of “Maison Margiela/folders.”
"Maison Margiela/folders" was an exhibition that began with a runway show held in Shanghai this past April and subsequently took place in four cities across China. The exhibition focused on the maison’s core identity elements: “artisanal,” “anonymity,” “tabi,” and “bianchetto.”Currently, these files are stored as digital files on the cloud storage service "Dropbox" and are freely accessible to anyone.
For this project, we will first publish a file summarizing the history of “Maison Margiela Tokyo” on “Dropbox” on Tuesday, October 20.
Next, a zine compiling this content—which will also be uploaded to “Dropbox”—will be distributed for free on Thursday, November 5, in the Ebisu area and at “Maison Margiela Tokyo.” Since this limited edition, printed in the Ebisu area, will only be distributed on this one day, those who manage to get their hands on a copy may consider themselves lucky. It will also be available at the store starting November 5, but distribution will end once supplies run out.
In addition, an installation featuring artist Mio Suzuki will be on view at “Maison Margiela Tokyo” for 11 days starting Thursday, November 5. For this project, she is collaborating with “Les Manufactures Nationales – Sèvres & Mobilier National,” a historic French tapestry workshop with a 400-year history. The 59 tapestries selected by Suzuki from this collection will be transported to Tokyo, where they will adorn the space as a massive installation.
This installation is part of the “Line 2” initiative, which was first introduced last year as part of *Maison Margiela*’s numbering system ranging from 0 to 23. It is a creative endeavor that connects elements with different perspectives to foster new forms of creativity.
The new chapter of “Maison Margiela/folders” can be described as a project that traces the brand’s 20-year journey in Ebisu and paves the way for the next era. Now, come and experience the Maison’s distinctive character anew in this very place.
