When the Parisian purveyor of luxuries, Hermès, appointed Martin Margiela as the artistic director of its women’s ready-to-wear collections, in October 1997, the founder of Maison Margiela was already known as one of the most influential of avant-garde designers. But the appointment was a huge risk, not least because of Margiela’s predilections for deconstruction and for recovering and recycling materials – practices previously unheard of in the fashion world. During the latest autumn/winter Paris Fashion Week, the international press described Margiela as the true protagonist of fashion week. Margiela withdrew from the world of fashion eight or more years ago. So the time has come to put on show some of his masterpieces. An exhibition at the MoMu Fashion Museum Antwerp, in Belgium, does just that.  The exhibition, Margiela – The Hermès Years, runs from March 31 to August 27. momu.be