The exclusivity was further emphasised by the fuss-free labelling of the clothes – a white tag distinguished by four white stitches at the neckline. Such subtlety and gamesmanship, not to mention exceptional tailoring, has attracted the creative, the intelligentsia and A-listers in droves: Tilda Swinton and French Vogue’s Carine Roitfeld are fans, and Marc Jacobs and former Dior Homme designer Hedi Slimane are among the many who have taken inspiration.  The Margiela aesthetic has always offered a radical alternative to what we might deem as chic and “designer”, yet his view is not anti-fashion (his business, now reaching to perfume, fine jewellery and furniture, is hugely successful), but rather an alternative. And it is this enigma that a new show at Somerset House hopes to capture in an arresting display that harnesses the big themes and playfulness of 20 years.  Curator Claire Catterall has a big task on her hands. Before her lay boxes of exhibits, sacks of white confetti and silver sequins, and a room of junk-shop chairs that need to be wrapped in the house’s characteristic white fabric. There are also giant polystyrene cut-outs of the members of Maison Margiela who will welcome visitors once they have purchased tickets from a whitewashed caravan in the courtyard. (The original caravan that sits in the entrance of the HQ in Paris is a paradigm shift from the wenge wood and honey carpets of designer-land.) Catterall is also in negotiations with the council to wrap the trees that line the embankment entrance to Somerset House in white like a Christo installation.  “Margiela is one of the most influential and cutting-edge designers in fashion,” says Catterall. “Looking back, one can see how inspiring his work has been – the show isn’t just a showcase, but an intelligent examination of the house. The idea is to feel immersed in Margiela world.” The acclaimed exhibition, which previously showed in Antwerp and Munich, has been adapted to the gallery space. Margiela’s love of trompe l’oeils is reflected right through to the decor, with images pasted over walls and screenprinted on to curtains.  Step into Margiela’s world and you begin to experience things differently. Nothing is quite what it seems in the unmarked, whitewashed shops, which are now located everywhere from LA to London, and the same is true of this exhibition. Intricately-curated capsules take you through Margiela’s weird world, where you will see giant suits and sweaters that are perfectly upscaled versions of original Barbie, Ken and GI Joe outfits from his autumn/winter 1994 collection. Another area shows the shift in shoulder proportions, ranging from the super-skinny and tight, to the ballasted shapes that have been all the rage these past two seasons. In the first room, there is a wall of his famous tabi boots, a heeled design based on the one-toed socks worn in Japan to accommodate flip-flops.  On a rail hangs a series of raw-edged nylon dresses with unnerving trompe l’oeil photographic prints of the creases and patterns, folds and darts taken from a dress hanging on a real female body. The Artisanal collection – Margiela’s version of couture – is a sight to behold, with extraordinary pieces meticulously assembled from found objects and discarded materials, such as a jacket made out of blonde wigs (spring/summer 2009) and a halter top crafted from white kid-leather gloves (spring/summer 2001) which seem to caress the body.  But what may seem perverse was often the outcome of no money and rabid imaginations. Scenographer Bob Verhelst, who has worked with Margiela since the get-go and is collaborating on the Somerset House installation, recalls the early days. “I went to Paris to see his collection – I think there must have been only a handful of people working there, so I offered my help.” Two weeks before the next show, he got a call. “Martin had this idea inspired by his mother and aunts during the war who would make their clothes from old scarves as nothing else was available, so the entire collection was made out of headscarves.  “I helped with everything from the invitations, to the street casting and the make-up – we painted the patterns from the scarves on to the models’ skin.” Verhelst, who worked with Margiela for nine years, witnessed the growth and evolution of the house. “Another time, we had the idea to handwrite the invitations and personally sign them all. There were 2,000 letters, and I think there must have only been six signatures.”  “It’s rare for a fashion house to sustain desirability and kudos when its namesake creative departs [Margiela left last year], but the team at Margiela is well and truly taking the brand’s heritage to new levels. With timeless classics and chic quirks, the label still has its cult following and continues to draw in youth with its achingly cool vibe,” says Yasmin Sewell, creative consultant to Liberty and an avid MMM fan.  Maison Martin Margiela creates an unnerving, radical kind of beauty, one that keeps you wide-eyed with its innovation, humour and sheer audacity. Like Coco Chanel, Cristobal Balenciaga and Rei Kawakubo, of Comme des Garçons, the work operates as a back-current to the mainstream. “As a conceptual designer, you put your work out there and let it be open to interpretations,” says Kaat Debo, who conceived and curated the original exhibition in Antwerp. “And there have been many interpretations.” Now is the time to find out yourself.  Harriet Quick is fashion features director of 'Vogue’  Maison Martin Margiela '20’: The Exhibition, June 3 – September 5 2010, Somerset House Embankment Galleries, London WC2; 020 7845 4600  Check out a selection of Maison Martin Margiela pieces in the Telegraph Fashion Shop
A London retrospective will show off Maison Martin Margiela's 20 years of    radical design, writes Harriet Quick.