Maison Martin Margiela co-founder Jenny Meirens dies

By

Matthieu Guinebault

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Jul 3, 2017

Jenny Meirens, who founded with Martin Margiela the eponymous fashion label, has died aged 72. She cut a discreet figure, yet had a direct influence in making the Maison Martin Margiela a household name in international fashion design.

History has it that it was Jenny Meirens who suggested to Martin Margiela to leave the labels on the maison's clothes blank, the absence of a designer's name emphasising the brand's absolute reliance on the quality of its design as a calling card. "When people walk into a store and see clothes with a distinctive design and no label, it makes them more curious," said Jenny Meirens said earlier this year to the New York Times.

In 1997, it was Jenny Meirens herself who negotiated the appointment of Martin Margiela as Creative Director of Hermès, a post he held for six years. In 2003, Meirens left the fashion business, after selling her stake in Maison Martin Margiela to Renzo Rosso, founder of the Only the Brave (OTB) Group.

Maison Martin Margiela has paid a public tribute to Jenny Meirens on social media, posting the picture of her and the designer in a tight hug. The caption was: "In memory of Jenny Meirens, commercial partner of Martin Margiela and one of the visionaries who worked behind the scenes."