There is both a literal and almost talismanic appeal to owning an object that a pivotal figure has touched, as past auctions of the everyday effects of Joan Didion, Stephen Sondheim, and Diane Keaton have demonstrated. The fact that Margiela, unlike those artists, is still alive is not likely to diminish the appeal of her belongings, especially since she no longer makes fashion. (In 2021, he moved into art.)
In fact, according to Pirson, the auction was Margiela's idea, following a 2025 sale of his work accumulated by collector brothers. That previous auction, “Martin Margiela: The Early Years, 1988-94,” raised “ten times what we expected,” Pirson said. Specifically, it raised 1,889,000 euros (about 2,158 million dollars, fees included).
“We had a two-hour line during the viewing to get in,” Pirson said. “It was crazy. We were expecting some excitement, but not that much.” At that time, she had contacted the designer to inform him that the auction was taking place, or at least she tried to. “I don't have his phone number and he sends emails reluctantly,” Pirson said. But then he got in touch. (A spokeswoman for the auction said the designer, as usual, was not available for interviews about the sale.)
“I think he realized that he had so many files kept secret in his office for years, and that they had important historical value, but also commercial value,” Pirson said. “If I'm Martin Margiela, I see the interest getting crazier and crazier every year, and the amount of money people make selling the clothes he designed is getting crazier and crazier. He doesn't have children, so this is a way to manage his legacy.”
Plus, “he has a very good memory,” he said. “He remembers every detail of anything he's ever done at any time.”
