The Tamesis
Sciuto believes a full-scale push into China is a top priority. Margiela didn’t officially enter the country until 2019, he said. However, the brand has since opened 26 stores there, and its market penetration depends largely on its fragrance business. It was China’s relative lack of development that prompted our decision to focus on this region.
Last year, Margiela’s total revenue grew by 9%, of which only a small (undisclosed) portion came from the Chinese market. “That’s why for us, this is still an opportunity. Even now that the U.S., Europe and South Korea are growing faster in general, we feel that China has really huge potential for us,” Sciuto said. He pointed out that the recently opened Margiela flagship store in Seoul has increased sales awareness in the entire Korean market, and he hopes that this effort will also be reflected in China. “Similarly, this flagship store revolutionizes the perception of the brand because it allows us to showcase the marriage between communication, iconic products and the promotion of Margiela as a luxury brand.”
Sciuto said that in terms of product, attention to the brand’s Tabi shoes has driven “exponential” growth. The arrival of Martens, he added, “brings a more feminine and gendered style. John’s arrival is a little more androgynous.” The emphasis on dresses and skirts is bearing fruit in ready-to-wear, he adds, and that’s reflected in other customers’ enthusiasm for newly launched Martens-era handmade fashions. A group of these customers will travel to Shanghai tomorrow to watch the show, Sciuto said. Therefore, he revealed that Maison Margiela will return to the Paris haute couture show schedule in January 2027.
At the other end of the business, MM6 is a secondary line developed from Line 6 founded by Martin Margiela in 1997. It has 22 stores around the world and contributes considerable wholesale revenue to the brand’s overall profits. “It’s been going pretty well,” Sciuto said, “but between Margiela and MM6, we’re telling two different stories.” Still, he agrees, MM6 is an important transmitter of the broader cultural capital that Margiela has. Sciuto added: “The Replica fragrance and Replica sneakers have been so successful, so part of the question we faced was how do we engage with these customers and give them a deeper understanding of the world of Maison Margiela?”
