gone ::

Vogue UK has confirmed the "rumors" this week that Martin Margiela is no longer heading up the design of the Maison Martin Margiela label.

Renzo Rosso, who bought the company in 2002, says "Martin has not been here for a long time", confirming reports over the last year.

as i've posted in the past, his collections have been "interesting" as of late, but Margiela has always had much more mystery then the most recent collections have even been close to.

::whats next for this elusive man? One of the Antwerp Six, Margiela's designs over the last two decades have had considerable effects on the world of fashion today, from construction in haute couture, to colors and shoulders in the 80's through today, to textures and lines in streetwear.

known as the " last individual vision" according to designer Azzeldine Alaia, reports have come in over the last year that the Margiela collections over the last year plus have been a team effort and Margiela has long since taken a step back. International Herald Tribune published this quote by Renzo Rosso, “We are very happy with Martin, but for a long time he has a strong team and does not work on the collection, just special projects.”

Colombian designer Haider Ackermann, trained like Margiela in Antwerp, is in talks with the company to possibly step up as the head designer, working with the Margiela team that is already in place.

:: 1997 photo of the man no camera can catch, via the New York Times.