At Martin Margiela’s debut runway show, Spring/Summer 1989, models walked down a white piece of cloth with red paint on the bottoms of their shoes, leaving behind the distinctive print of their split-toed tabi boots. Ever since then, the Japanese-inspired shoe has been a signature item for the Maison.
Maison Margiela has continually re-interpreted the split-toed footwear ever since its debut show, 35 years ago. And now, it is opening Tabiology, its first-ever month-long pop-up exhibition devoted to the history of this iconic shoe.
Margiela's Tabi takeover takes place at South Coast Plaza’s Jewel Court, from March 20 to April 15, in a pop-up space covered with distinctive Tabi footprints — evocative of that debut runway show.
Inside, 20 pairs of archival Tabis are displayed chronologically in exhibition plinths. They begin with a pair of flesh-colored suede boots from the Spring/Summer 1989 show and continue to include Tabi clogs from Autumn/Winter 1991 and Tabi ice skates made in collaboration with John Wilson in 2014.
Also displayed in the Tabi-centric exhibition is a selection of objects, ranging from opera gloves to a T-shirt from 1991 featuring red footprints.
Charting the history from Martin Margiela’s original design to the contemporary interpretations made by John Galliano, artistic director of Maison Margiela since 2014, the exhibition includes some of the most famous and hard-to-find Tabi shoes and Tabi-related objects ever.
Not only looking back at the history of the Tabi, the pop-up exhibition space also offers visitors the opportunity to create their own unique digital Tabi NFT, the first taste of the Tabiology project tthat was unveiled in early March. Powered by generative AI firm Hypno, two digital stations will be open for people to stretch the boundaries of what a Tabi can be.
All of this, along with an exclusive selection of Tabi silhouettes available to shop in Maison Margiela’s nearby store, are available to visit in the Californian shopping center from today. If you're a big Maison Margiela fan, there's only one place to be this upcoming month.
