SS02 Maison Margiela ‘Graffiti’ 1/1 Artisanal GAT Sneakers

In the Spring of 2002, Martin Margiela’s work had finally become globally recognized as a prestigious runway collective. Opting to show “inside” the Parisian circuit, he’d locate a small French pub known as ‘Le Corona’ to gather an audience and present his short film. This season, Margiela would focus on anonymity in a digital setting, enlisting a British creative agency ‘Intro’ to co-produce this season’s media. Debuting a 5 minute video in which model’s faces, arms and legs were edited to become translucent, Martin would in-turn remove our perceptions of identity to a further degree than ever before. Such intense anonymity would remove any sense of facial structure or weight, only leaving viewers with an understanding of height and vague silhouette. Much like Apple’s mid-2000s ‘silhouette’ iPod campaigns, the Belgian designer would force us to look at each garment objectively, void of preconceived notions or swayed ideals.

Debuting in the Spring of 2002, this pair of sneakers come in the silhouette of Margiela’s iconic GATs. As an abbreviation for German Army Trainers, these white runners feature a rubberized sole and suede patterning throughout, among 1/1 hand drawn illustrations and lettering. Done by Martin’s team themselves, these drawing were predominantly done using ballpoint pens and select fine tipped markers to create an incredibly child-like appearance. Much like graffiti, each depiction reads of something different, like “Don’t Touch” or “Foglia”. In great condition throughout aside from a professional reglue on the right sole, these come as a size 44, fitting a US 10.5.