The Tabi Broken Mirror Embroidery takes a familiar Maison Margiela surface treatment and gives it a new physical depth. Introduced in October 2025 as the first edition of the Tabi Collector’s series, the design is built around hand embroidery rather than the flat appearance of a coating. The house announced an edition of 25 pairs.
Its starting point is the Broken Mirror treatment introduced in the autumn–winter 2015 Artisanal collection. In that earlier technique, a silver-coloured coating was applied to leather and allowed to fracture, revealing the material beneath. The collector’s edition translates that interrupted, reflective surface into a composition of individual elements.
According to Maison Margiela, each pair is hand-embroidered with more than 8,000 glass beads, sequins and metallic embellishments. Fragments in different shades are laser-cut to evoke aged, fractured glass, then individually treated to create a gradation at their edges. The resulting colour variation suggests the passage of time without relying on a uniform, mirror-like shine.
Transparent glass beads are worked among the metallic elements, adding another level of depth. That combination gives the embroidery a changing surface, with smaller points of reflection set against broader fragments. The construction is particularly legible in the supplied workshop photographs, where individual elements can be seen being positioned and sewn.
The split-toe form remains the constant. First introduced by Martin Margiela in 1988, the Tabi provides a recognisable outline for the material experiment. The house describes its broader making process as involving 11 dedicated artisans, emphasising the specialised work required by the shoe’s unusual shape.
The Collector’s series was conceived as an annual exploration of the Tabi through technique and materials. This first edition demonstrates the value of that focus: a single established form can support a substantial change in surface, light and construction. Viewed as a craftsmanship study, its interest extends beyond the original limited release.
