A New Era: Gentle Monster x Maison Margiela
The new collection by the eyewear brand and Parisian fashion house.
Though it’s been a rising star in the fashion industry for well over a decade, Gentle Monster is only just now becoming a recognizable brand name to the masses. Founded in 2011 in Seoul, South Korea, by Jay Oh and Hankook Kim, Gentle Monster is a luxury eyewear brand that focuses on what they describe as “high-end experimentalism.” Whether they’re prescription or not, the brand designs both glasses and sunglasses, often collaborating with big names in the industry to create innovative and unconventional styles. Honestly, it’s not often that an eyewear brand becomes an iconic face of the fashion world; Gentle Monster’s avant-garde take on eyewear, however, has made them an incredibly sought-after brand from the influential to the influenced.
Gentle Monster is no stranger to the use of collaboration as a promotional tool. The brand has collaborated with musicians such as the DJ Diplo, Jennie of BLACKPINK, and singer-songwriter Cai Xukun as well as esteemed fashion brands including Henrik Vibskov, AMBUSH, Alexander Wang, Coperni, and Moncler. Because much of their inspiration is rooted in technology, Gentle Monster has even worked with online game developers like World of Warcraft and Overwatch 2. Perhaps the reach of the brand, spanning across a multitude of industries, is the reason behind their success.
In most recent news, Gentle Monster collaborated with Maison Margiela for a second time to release a futuristic and artisanal assortment of 17 eyewear pieces. Described as the “collaborative collection reflecting a new era,” John Galliano, the Creative Director of Margiela, dreamt up the line with themes of time, inheritance, and industrialism. It aligns with his co-ed S/S 2024 collection that conjures a dreamy ambiance, as the shoot motif is a transatlantic voyage.
Gentle Monster’s collection with the Parisian fashion house features design elements such as handcrafted leather frames, four distinct stitches on the temples, and sci-fi mask-shapes. These design techniques directly correspond with the overarching concept of artisanal craftsmanship. Leather frames, an element that is not typically done within the eyewear realm, calls out the unconventional designs of both brands. The mask-shaped sunglasses, which are templeless, bring the audience back to the technology-focused inspiration of the eyewear line. The large, metallic frames cover the contours of the eyes and nose, signifying a futuristic look.
The collaboration maintains both timeless and avant-garde styles, ensuring that there is a frame for everyone. The frames feature signature colorways from classic black, gray, tan, tortoise shell, and clear to bold blues and reds. The shapes aren’t limited, either; there are both sharp and edgy designs to quintessential square and round frames. It’s certain that the collaboration has a technology-centered, futuristic aim, and the experimental designs showcase exactly that, welcoming us to Gentle Monster and Maison Margiela’s world of “future-punk.”
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