store in Paris. In 2003, Margiela stepped down from his role at Hermes to focus on his own label and was succeeded by his former mentor, Jean Paul Gaultier. Post-fashion career After leaving fashion, Margiela turned to art as a medium of expression. He spent two years working with Lafayette Anticipations – Galeries Lafayette Corporate Foundation to create more than 40 art works for his first solo exhibition that debuted in October 2021. Among the exhibits included silicon spheres covered in human hair, large-scale paintings of dust particles, and blank spaces that symbolized the idea of an exhibition that is "in flux, unfinished, and in permanent movement." See also Maison Margiela OTB Group John Galliano References External links Martin Margiela biography on Fashion.net 1957 births Living people Belgian fashion designers People from Genk Businesspeople from Leuven Royal Academy of Fine Arts (Antwerp) alumni