NEW AUCTION is pleased to present Maison Martin Margiela, 1989–2009: The Private Archive Collection, a dedicated auction to be held on September 26, featuring more than 300 works from a remarkable private collection assembled in Japan.

Carefully built over the course of two decades by a single private collector, the archive offers a rare opportunity to explore the breadth of Martin Margiela's work during his years at the Maison through garments and objects that reflect the dedication with which they were assembled, as well as the collector's deep admiration for Margiela's work and philosophy.

Few designers have reshaped the way we think about fashion as profoundly as Martin Margiela. Throughout his tenure at Maison Martin Margiela, he challenged conventional ideas of luxury, authorship, and beauty, inviting audiences to reconsider what clothing could represent. Rather than following trends, Margiela questioned them — transforming garments into conceptual objects and fashion into a medium for cultural dialogue. His work continues to resonate not simply because of its aesthetic originality, but because it fundamentally changed the way we perceive clothing, craftsmanship, memory, and identity.

Spanning the years 1989 to 2009 — the period during which Martin Margiela led the Maison — the collection traces the evolution of his creative vision across two decades. It encompasses the House's most signature series, including Artisanal, Replica, Doll (Barbie) Series, presented alongside the essential pieces that formed the foundation of each collection. Together, they reveal the integrity of Margiela's philosophy, where concept and function exist in thoughtful dialogue.

At NEW AUCTION, we are delighted to present this carefully assembled collection and to share it with collectors and all those who continue to find inspiration in Martin Margiela's work. We hope this auction serves not only as an opportunity to acquire works from this defining period in the history of Maison Martin Margiela, but also as an invitation to engage with Margiela's vision and philosophy.

It is with great gratitude that I have been given the opportunity to present my collection through NEW AUCTION.

From the 1990s through the early 2000s, I acquired these Maison Martin Margiela pieces one by one, in Japan and abroad. They were never chosen for their rarity, nor collected in pursuit of fashion. Each entered my life because I was deeply moved by Margiela's philosophy and aesthetic, and each remained with me as part of my own journey. Together, they form a single-owner collection built over three decades.

The publication of my book felt like a natural milestone, and with it came the decision to entrust a selection of these works to auction.
To me, clothing has never been simply something to wear. It is a vessel for ideas—a record of design, of craftsmanship, and of the spirit of its time. It is culture made tangible, something to be preserved, studied, and carried forward.

Their next owner may choose to wear them, allowing them to continue living through the body. Others may preserve them as objects of study, safeguarding them for future generations. I believe both are equally meaningful futures for these works.

It is my heartfelt hope that this collection, assembled patiently over the course of thirty years, will continue its journey in new hands. That each piece will be treasured in its own way. And that, together, they will continue to carry Martin Margiela's vision, philosophy, and enduring legacy into the future.