Evolution and Reinvention of The “Bed Dress” |

Hailed as a mix of West and East, MM6 Maison Martin Margiela's S/S 2015 collection, showcased during New York Fashion Week, blended American elements borrowed from the Old West – such as denim pieces, fringed jackets and clutches, suede chaps and bandana tops (though recreated in a shiny rubber version) – with traditional Japanese pieces like ample kimono-like jackets and light coats closed with obi belts and matched with extremely high Japanese platform sandals.

The same theme was already employed for the Resort 15 collection where American Pop Art was mixed with Japanese comics, but in this collection there was also another minor theme. The sensual suits looked indeed a bit like pyjamas and the light coats called to mind dressing gowns, hinting in this way at everyday basic pieces such as lingerie, albeit in a Margiela kind of key. A slip dress was matched for example with a transparent plastic piece with lateral zips that looked more like a storage bag for quilts; one model had a quilt with a Japanese print tied around her body, and the same quilt was turned into a vest in another look.

Bedwear seemed to infiltrate among the innerwear and outerwear, pointing back to the history of fashion and in particular reminding of Cinzia Ruggeri's "Abito Letto" (Bed Dress; originally created for Vogue Casa in 1986) consisting in a quilted duvet gown matched with a satin pillow, and Viktor & Rolf's Autumn/Winter 2005-06 ("Bedtime Story") collection as see in a previous post (Maison Martin Margiela and Viktor & Rolf are owned by Renzo Rosso's Only The Brave Group, so this could actually be a real and not "imagined" connection). Looks like the "bed dress" has gone through several evolutions and reinventions throughout the decades and you can bet this one seen at MM6 won't be the last one…