© Maison Martin Margiela by Maison Martin Margiela

Last year, the iconic Belgian designer Martin Margiela celebrated the twenty-year anniversary of his fashion house during his runway show in Paris. One person conspicuously absent from the celebration was Margiela himself. The designer is as notorious for his adamant refusal to be photographed and interviewed, as he is for his innovative work. One can hardly underestimate Margiela’s influence on fashion. From revealing tailoring techniques by deconstructing garments to his quirky shows, like the one held in a candle-lit abandoned Parisian metro station, he has consistently subverted fashion’s conventions. Margiela is a thinking person’s designer — his work is cerebral and methodical. Whether through the subtlety of carefully misplaced seams or the ostentation of blown-up proportions, he forces you to see the clothes in a new light. 
     Maison Martin Margiela (Rizolli, $100), chronicles the Belgian’s career in its 368 large format pages, full of rare images. The pure white linen cover of the book epitomizes Margiela’s approach to fashion — the garment should speak for itself and not be overshadowed by the designer’s ego. Several essays and letters from contributors such as Jean-Paul Gaultier (with whom Margiela got his first job), Susannah Frankel, and Vanessa Beecroft punctuate the lush photography. The photos depict every important aspect of Margiela’s carefully constructed world, from individual garments to his pointedly unglamorous boutiques.