Martin Margiela's Tabi boots set new auction record at 385,020 euro sale

A pair of Martin Margiela's painted graffiti Tabi boots from 1991 sold for 364,000 euros at auction on July 9, setting a new world record for the designer at auction and anchoring a sale that more than quadrupled its low estimate.

The white glove auction, held in collaboration with Maurice Auction, totalled 1,385,020 euros including fees. The boots, exhibited at Margiela's first museum show at the Palais Galliera, surpassed the previous Margiela record of 101,400 euros, set in January 2025 by an early ensemble.

The top lots traced Margiela's years at his eponymous Maison. A sweater constructed from grey cotton socks, which the designer made himself during lockdown after a design from his early-1990s collections, fetched 117,000 euros. An artisanal prototype jacket from the spring/summer 1993 "Noir et Blanc" collection, assembled from old theatre costumes, made 31,200 euros, while Margiela's own working coat, the "Blouse Blanche" worn between 1988 and 2008, reached 41,000 euros.

Works on paper performed strongly, a reflection of their scarcity: Margiela has rarely released original sketches, historically preferring photocopies and facsimiles. His "First Dossier" of 1987, the manifesto that laid the visual groundwork for the future Maison, drew fierce competition from museums, collectors and archivists before selling for 24,700 euros. A set of five hair and makeup sketches made 19,500 euros, as did a series of Marina Faust backstage photographs from spring/summer 2006.

The final section paid tribute to Margiela's late mother, Lea Bouchet, comprising her wardrobe of Hermès pieces from the designer's tenure at the French house, notably the largest section of the sale, and nearly all of its clothing. An "Initials" bag in dark brown Barenia calfskin sold for 44,200 euros, a cotton trench worn over a kid fur coat made 45,500 euros, and a pair of grey cashmere "porté par deux" coats fetched 19,500 euros.

The auction house said it will return in September with a single-owner sale and its next menswear auction, both in London.