MAISON MARGIELA INTRODUCES #TABIOLOGY POP-UP. THE INTERACTIVE EXHIBITION WILL TAKE OVER JEWEL COURT WITH A PLAYFUL EXPLORATION OF THE HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF THE MAISON’S ICONIC SHOE.

Maison Margiela is pleased to announce the opening of a month-long pop-up exhibition devoted to its unmistakable Tabi shoe at South Coast Plaza’s Jewel Court. The Tabi takeover is an irreverent, engaging and informative examination of the Tabi’s signature split-toe silhouette, taking visitors on a journey through this definitive piece of Maison iconography from its inception in 1988 to its contemporary reinventions under Creative Director John Galliano. Designed to captivate longtime devotees of the Tabi as well as introduce it to new customers, the space combines historical context, new collections and new possibilities. Core to the exhibition is a personalized, generative AI experience powered by Hypno that stretches the boundaries of what a Tabi can be.

The Tabi was introduced into the design lexicon of Maison Margiela with the opening look of Martin Margiela’s debut runway show for the Spring/Summer 1989 collection. Inspired by the split-toed socks traditionally worn by workmen in Japan since the 17th century, the Tabi has been continually re-interpreted by the house. For his first show, Margiela drenched the soles of his Tabis in red paint to leave clear, split-toed footprints on the white cotton fabric that covered the runway. The next season, the fabric was cut into waistcoats printed with the memory of the previous show, setting in motion one of the core tenets of Maison Margiela: footprints that connect the passage of time. The founder has described the Tabi as the most important footprint of his career.

The Tabi pop-up and installation is covered in distinctive Tabi footprints, tracing a path of discovery from the Jewel Court rotunda to the Maison Margiela store, where an expanded selection of iconic silhouettes are exclusively for sale. Within the pop-up, 20 pairs of archival Tabis are displayed chronologically in exhibition plinths, beginning with the original Spring/Summer 1989 flesh-colored suede boot. There are the Autumn/Winter 1991 clogs, the Spring/Summer 1996 invisible Tabis and the 2014 Tabi ice skates made in collaboration with John Wilson. Also displayed are a selection of Tabi objects, including opera gloves, and a T-shirt bearing red footprints from Summer 1991, all examples of the design’s compelling influence across disciplines.

To continue the Tabi’s evolution in contemporary culture, Maison Margiela has partnered with generative AI firm Hypno to create an interactive, personalized experience. The pop-up space features two digital stations where clients take a selfie and follow prompts to create their own completely unique digital Tabi. The AI Tabis are emblematic of Maison Margiela’s history of avant-garde aesthetics and revolutionary concepts that draw on the humble, historical, eccentric, humorous and nonsensical to challenge the conventions of fashion.

Visit the Maison Margiela Tabi Pop-Up at Jewel Court Plaza from March 20th through April 15th.

South Coast Plaza
Level 1, Jewel Court
3333 Bristol Street
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Monday – Friday: 10am – 8pm
Sunday: 11am – 7pm