Maison Margiela’s spring 2026 show left models speechless — literally
When high fashion meets dental chic, even the models couldn’t keep a straight face.
Maison Margiela’s Spring 2026 ready-to-wear show in Paris might have been billed as a “back to basics” moment, but it was hard to focus on the clothes when every model hit the runway with a bizarre mouthpiece strapped across their face.
Each model walked with a strange contraption strapped across their face, modeled after Margiela’s signature four stitches. The idea, according to the show notes, was to create a “uniformity of expression.” But to many, it read as stifling, a literal silencing of individuality on a runway that otherwise celebrated craft and creativity.
Even the models seemed to see the humor. Calum Harper, one of the faces in the show, later posted a video joking about the experience with the caption, “Become a model, they said. It’ll be fun, they said.”
The clip (showing him strutting in the piece) quickly racked up views and a chorus of hilarious comments:
- “Was the designer also a dentist?”
- “Gets the biggest runway of his career. Gets a dental appliance jammed into his mouth. Oh modeling!”
- “I’d be dribbling down myself as I walked the runway.”
- “How did you keep a straight face?”
- “That’s definitely a choice someone decided to make.”
Some spotted the Margiela DNA immediately, “Immediately knew Maison Margiela”. While others just wanted answers: “…but why?”
Fashion watchers didn’t hold back online. (My favorite is always going to the Fashion Critical page for their take.) These were some of the top comments: “If I was a model, there would be limits. I’d say ‘I’m out,’” one commenter wrote. Another joked, “Can you imagine the slurping noises they’d be making so as not to dribble on themselves?”
It’s a shame, because there was substance behind the spectacle. Creative director Glenn Martens leaned into Margiela’s DNA with drop-shoulder tailoring and clever trompe-l’oeil details, including jackets fused with silk scarves and chiffon-shrouded suiting. Denim and leather were also back in force, a nod to the brand’s more wearable roots.
But even a strong collection can’t compete with a distracting gimmick. As WWD put it, these clothes “stood on their own — no mouthpieces required.”
Fashion loves a statement, but sometimes the loudest thing in the room isn’t the message designers meant to send.
Fashion’s been full of surprises this season — Pamela Anderson stunned fans with her new red hair at Paris Fashion Week, while Gwyneth Paltrow broke her “quiet luxury” streak with a bold look in Milan.
