Returning to the early days of our journey we are delighted to present A#1, curated by Maison Martin Margiela in 2004 –  the first in the numerical series of A after the founding issues by Dirk Van Saene (NºA), Bernhard Willhelm (NºB), Hussein Chalayan (NºC) and Olivier Theyskens (NºD).

Maison Martin Margiela is known for a subversive, intellectual and often satirical style that permeates through a signature white-washed world, becoming famous in the 90’s for its deconstructed garments and guerilla fashion shows – the antithesis of populist fashion of the times, and a vein being explored in parallel by Comme des Garçons designer Rei Kawakubo in Japan. All garments are labelled with four white top stitches in a rectangular form – a “response to the tyranny of the logo” – a design originally created for easy removal that has evolved into one of the most distinguishing, visible labels one may wear today.

Born in Belgium in 1957, the designer Martin Margiela graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp in 1979, and later spent some years assisting Jean Paul Gaultier before opening his own house. The collective moniker of ‘Maison Martin Margiela’ has signified the work of Martin and his team since 1988, cultivating an anonymity and the effect of a group mentality ever since the first defilé for womens Spring Summer 1989. Martin has remained entirely invisible to the public in the past twenty years, and the house answers all interviews via fax or email.

Throughout the month of February and beyond, A BLOG explores Maison Martin Margiela’s truly iconic magazine – an organic and interpersonal study of the brilliant people who have touched the house in weird and wonderful ways over its two decades in operation. Centred on both Antwerp and Paris, the contributions within the title include handwritten notes, typed working documents, collages, photography, interviews and installation art from the likes of Mark Borthwick, Marina Faust, BLESS, Ronald Stoops, Nigel Bennett and Patrick Scallon. Many contributors have not only been associated with the house externally, but have worked behind its closed doors as designers, models, photographers etc.

Please click here to see A#1 online at WWW.AMAGAZINECURATEDBY.COM, with another back issue released each month. A#2 by Yohji Yamamoto, A#3 by Haider Ackermann, A#4 by Jun Takahashi, A#5 by Martine Sitbon, A#6 by Veronique Branquinho, A#7 by Kris Van Assche and A#8 by Riccardo Tisci are also all available to view online now.