MM6 Maison Margiela FW23 Plays the Hits

Functionally, MM6 Maison Margiela is the more approachable sibling of John Galliano’s consistently dynamic mainline Margiela, but that doesn’t mean that MM6 can’t tap the spirit of house founder Martin Margiela. That’s exactly what MM6 does for Fall/Winter 2023, reinterpreting signature pieces through its accessible lens.

It’s all here: faux-paint-chipped truckers, five-zip jackets, piecemeal shirt-blazers, slashed-arm blazers, shoulder-length gloves, numerical prints, and even deep-v sweaters inspired by the vareuse pullovers Martin Margiela designed for Hermès.

The reinterpretations aren’t subtle: dare to compare Margiela’s original artisanal silver jeans against MM6’s slightly looser cut.

What results is a collection rich with Margiela heritage. Unsurprising but it upholds the notion that MM6 may be out-Margiela-ing Margiela these days, as the sub-label channels the core tenets that put the house on the map back in the day.

MM6 is no one-trick pony, either: there’s some reiteration of classic fare, yes, but there’s also an ample supply of especially approachable garments that epitomize MM6’s new-school approach.

Anyone could get down with MM6’s lacquered denim shirts, wool overcoats, baggy sweats, and thigh-high shitkickers whether they care about OG Margiela or not, which is precisely what makes MM6 so intriguing.

It thrusts Margiela codes into the present and even updates some cues for contemporary tastes: only MM6 could Margiela-ize Salomon trail vests and The North Face puffers, for instance.

No Salomon collab this go-round but they’re necessary to demonstrate MM6’s mastery of mainstreaming Margiela.

MM6’s success may even be rubbing off on its mainline sibling. Remember that Maison Margiela just debuted a far-reaching Gentle Monster collaboration, its big first joint effort since the Reebok collabs began and the exact kind of youthful jolt you’d rather expect from MM6.

Well, can’t have too much of a good thing.