Maison Martin Margiela Artisanal Line 0 Silver Painted Jeans, Attributed AW1999, Made in France, Size M

A pair of five-pocket jeans reworked by hand in the Margiela atelier and coated entirely in silver paint, which has crazed with wear into a fine web of cracks over the blue denim beneath.

The Piece

Line 0, the Artisanal line, was where Maison Martin Margiela remade existing garments by hand in its Paris atelier: army socks became jumpers, gloves became tops, and jeans and jackets were painted. The painted pieces, made around the turn of the millennium, became emblematic of the house's idea that a garment records the life of its wearer. As the paint was worn it cracked and wore through, so every pair aged differently. Silver-painted denim is documented in the Autumn/Winter 1999 season, and this pair is attributed to that period; it carries no season code.

The base is a classic straight-leg five-pocket jean with copper-coloured topstitching, a metal shank button and rivets, painted silver over the entire outside. The inside, waistband facing and pocket bags remain pale blue, so the original jean is visible wherever you look. A pre-existing jean base was the house's practice; this one is said to be a Levi's, though no Levi's branding is visible in the photographs and we do not claim it.

Inside is the white Margiela label with the 0 circled, and a care label reading 100% cotton, Made in France, size M, with 'M' also hand-written on the pocketing, as the atelier marked its pieces. Flat, the waist is 37 cm (about 74 cm around), the rise 29 cm, the inside leg 76 cm, the thigh 25 cm and the hem 19 cm.

They are wearable, and they are also one of the clearest objects of Margiela's thinking a collector can own.

Details

• Designer: Maison Martin Margiela
• Season: Not dated; attributed to circa Autumn/Winter 1999
• Model / ref: Artisanal Line 0 silver painted five-pocket jeans
• Material: 100% cotton denim, hand-applied silver paint
• Colour: Silver over light blue
• Made in: France (reworked in the atelier)
• Tagged size: M
• Measurements: Waist (flat) 37 cm · Rise 29 cm · Inside leg 76 cm · Thigh 25 cm · Hem 19 cm
• Included: Jeans only

Condition

• Very good pre-owned condition for an Artisanal piece.
• The paint has crazed into fine cracks and shows the blue denim through in places, most visibly at the knees and seat; this is the intended character of the piece.
• Some light marks in the painted surface, see close-ups.
• A faint storage odour.
• No holes, repairs or alterations visible.

Condition grade AB on the Japanese scale; see Japanese condition ranks, explained.

Authenticity & Care

The labels, materials, stitching, hardware and construction are examined together and documented in Japan before dispatch; anything that cannot be confirmed is stated plainly in the description. Every piece carries the Japonista authenticity guarantee. Do not wash or dry clean; spot clean gently and store folded flat to protect the painted surface.

Delivery from Japan

Packed by hand in Japan and shipped insured and tracked by EMS or an equivalent express service. Import duties and taxes, where applicable, are payable on arrival. Every sale is final; please ask anything before you buy, and see our published policy.

Every figure above is taken by hand with the pair laid flat, in centimetres. Measure jeans or trousers that already fit you the same way and allow a centimetre or two of margin, the quiet safeguard on a final sale. Our jeans and trousers size guide reads waist and inseam in inches and centimetres, and for anything it leaves open the curator team replies within one Tokyo business day.

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