First off, the whole “Replica” thing is kinda genius, if you think about it. Like, they’re not just making clothes, they’re making *copies* of old clothes. But, like, fancy copies. I always thought it was kinda weird, in a good way, like finding a vintage treasure but without having to, ya know, actually *hunt* for it in some dusty thrift store. Thank god.
I saw on Grailed (love Grailed, that place is a rabbit hole for cool stuff, maybe a bit too expensive sometimes, but hey, it’s Margiela, what do you expect?) that you can browse a ton of their stuff. Seriously, you could spend hours just scrolling. And StockX too, for the sneakers, if you’re brave enough to deal with the whole bidding thing. I tried it once, didn’t win, got annoyed, gave up. Anyway…
Speaking of sneakers, the “Replica” sneakers. Everyone and their grandma seems to have a pair. Especially the dirty white ones. They’re, like, deliberately distressed, which is kinda funny when you’re paying a small fortune for them to *look* like you haven’t washed them in a month. But, hey, fashion, amirite? They say they’re based on ’70s styles, which makes sense. They got that kinda retro vibe. I personally kinda dig the Caviar colorway, sounds fancy, probably is, lol.
END. did an exclusive version once, which is kinda cool, I guess. They always try to make things extra special, don’t they? I remember reading they are inspired by Austrian sports shoes. Austria! Who knew?!
And the whole point, according to that bit about the “Replica” collection being started in 1994, is that they’re taking these universal, timeless pieces and, well, replicating them. It’s like, “Hey, this bomber jacket from the ’50s is awesome, let’s make a new one, but with a hefty price tag!” And you know what? It kinda works. It’s like owning a piece of history, but, ya know, a really expensive, slightly pretentious version.
