Maison Martin Margiela for H&M Clothing: AW12 Collection

Maison Martin Margiela for H&M AW12 Collection

Considered by many to be the seventh member of legendary fashion collective the Antwerp Six (a sartorial honouring roughly equivalent to that of music’s “Fifth Beatle,”) former Jean Paul Gaultier underling and current Kanye West favourite Martin Margiela has been celebrated as one of fashion’s most avant-garde couturiers for the past two decades – as well as one of its most reclusive.

Margiela’s brand was acquired by Diesel in 2002, with Margiela himself, who has only allowed his face to be glimpsed by the public once during his tenure, relinquishing the post of creative director in 2009.

The rebellious spirit with which he started his line, however, soldiers on under his replacement design team, as evidenced by the newly released lookbook for Maison Martin Margiela and H&M’s AW12 collaborative effort.

Featuring timeless autumn/winter trends such as shearling-look jackets, patterned knits, slim cut blazers and high-top boots, the MMM/H&M AW12 lookbook presents an eminently stylish collection which looks set to be a mix of classic and contemporary, featuring Margiela’s usual deconstructive flair and, fingers crossed, a reasonable price tag to go with it.

An early favourite of mine among the looks shown is one of a gentleman dressed in a slim suit jacket over a colourful, Christmas Day-worthy jumper, with matching suit trousers and white leather ankle boots. The look is simple and casual but can be easily accessorised to suit a more formal function, or dressed down to suit an occasion where you may wish to present a more rough-around-the-edges look.

When announced, the Maison Martin Margiela collection for H&M was said to include a variety of “limited re-editions,” and will be released exclusively into H&M stores from November 15th 2012.

Maison Martin Margiela for H&M AW12 Collection