Project statement :
Mission (Merge)iela is an avant-garde fashion and archival project that re-contextualizes vintage Martin Margiela pieces— using self-developed replicas to create new, hybrid garments.
The project’s name is a play on the word “Margiela,” signifying a mission to reinterpret the legacy of the Belgian designer through creative “mergers.”
It serves as a creative study of the Martin Margiela Archive and emphasizes the use of “found” and historical objects, such as vintage nylon stockings and deadstock fabrics, to maintain the raw, experimental aesthetic pioneered by Margiela.
The project emerged through extensive research into Martin Margiela’s Spring & Fall 1997 collections. With specific focus on the Semi Couture Stockman Bodice, the looks presented so far are part of an 18 look collection offered in segments which debuted in 2024 and will conclude this year.
Their sequential release serves to highlight the process of slow fashion development.
Moving forward this practice will continue under the same title, expanding to include iterations of admired works from other designers.
photos Jonathan Grassi model Anna-Lena Åkerstrand
Luis Cascante has amassed 23 years of experience in the fashion industry, specializing as a pattern maker (Victoria Bartlet’s VPL, And Re Walker and a long time collaborator with ThreeAsFour) and offering freelance services as an on-set/on-location tailor, primarily engaged in editorial and commercial shoots.
His expertise includes runway shows (YSL, Victoria Beckham, Givenchy), presentations, look books, fashion videos, art films and a long list of regular VIP client fittings. Throughout his career, Luis has developed a close working relationship with stylists and art directors, collaborating to prepare celebrities for print, TV appearances, and award shows. Celebrity talent and artists include: Gigi Hadid, Mariko Mori, Jamian Juliano-Villani, Iman, Greta Lee, Daphne Guinness, Anna Wintour & Björk. In addition to his role as a tailor, Luis also excels in crafting custom pieces, offering clients unique and personalized fashion solutions.
He is also known for his art and fashion illustrations and paintings.
photos Jonathan Grassi
models : Lee Christmas & Sinn Apsara
Name : Luis Cascante
Birthplace : Puerto Rican/ Costa Rican born in Elizabeth NJ
Métier : Artist. fashion designer/ illustrator / painter
Sources of inspiration : My dreams are a crucial source of inspiration for me, especially because I tend to have super vivid lucid dreams. They vastly inform many of my creative choices.
The idea for this project came from a dream. I dreamt about a painting of a woman standing next to a bed unhooking her bra, except she wasn’t naked. She was wearing the Martin Margiela Stockman vest and the bra was the white leather bra purse from the Shayne Oliver/ Helmut Lang collaboration. I woke up obsessing over these two pieces and wanted them in real life in order to recreate the image I saw. My mom ended up buying me the bag for my birthday and weeks later it dawned on me that I could make the vest myself.
Sources of motivation : Lately, my main source of motivation has been the self-affirming validation I gain from simply focusing on my own work. After many years of working ‘behind the scenes’ while experimenting with personal projects on the side, I finally feel encouraged to pursue my own work and showcase it more confidently.
When it comes to Mission (Merge)iela specifically, I’d say the biggest motivation has been my obsession with accuracy. It’s important to me that these pieces be as close to the originals as possible. I have a box full of rejected pieces that had to be remade from scratch again because something just didn’t feel right; the hem might have been 3/8″ too short or an armhole too shallow. Whatever the case was , they didn’t pass the vibe test and needed to be Xed out.
photo Jesper Gudbergsen model Lihem Russom
Favorite part of living in NYC : My favorite part about living in NY are the friends I’ve made and the people I’ve had the pleasure of working with throughout the years. They are a tribe of fellow dream chasers who are always fearlessly reinventing themselves and reject all ideas about needing to fit into any suppressive box. They challenge themselves and one another through their relentless quest for free self expression and authenticity. They’re kick ass.
What gets you in a working flow : Cleaning and organizing my studio gets me in a working flow. Painting and making clothes in a 10′ x 15′ sized studio is not an easy task. All hell breaks loose if I have a tight deadline and make a sewing mistake that forces me to dismantle everything. Suddenly things get scattered and shoved out of the way, piled up, or toppled onto the floor. I can finish the project amidst the chaos, but I cannot start anything new until I reset my space; once organized, the studio feels brand new.
Favorite tunes : I am drawn to eclectic, ancient-futuristic sounds and have a soft spot for the ethno-ambient music used in fashion shows throughout the mid-to-late 90s. During this period, the designers I loved evoked ideas of pagan delirium and tribal spirits, using music that reflected those eerie, ritualistic elements. These aesthetics strongly defined the type of fashion I was into at the time.
For me, a perfect example of this intersection of high fashion and global electronic music is Björk’s cameo modeling for Jean Paul Gaultier in Prêt-à-Porter. Deep Forest’s ‘Marta’s Song,’ featured on the soundtrack, made a huge impression on me, cementing my love for this genre.
The music I am currently listening to includes Aphex Twin’s Selected Ambient Works 85—92 and Roberto Musci’s Tower of Silence.
Beauty tips: I look to my husband, Jesper Gudbergsen, Editor-in-Chief of Submission Beauty, for beauty tips. His number one rule is to always drink plenty of water—a piece of advice I wholeheartedly believe in, though I could be better about following it—and to moisturize using Submission Beauty Balm, which I do every day.What are you working on now : I am currently wrapping up final looks and painting for the Margiela portion of my project and have already begun working on a few Jean Paul Gaultier replicas that I cant wait to shoot. I’m also beginning prep work for a series of paintings with the working title Delulu Who? centered around imaginary entities.
I guess I’m trying to say that it makes me happy to collaborate.
This is the Martin Margiela Spring 1997 look-book image I am reinterpreting as a painting :
The painting will have a 3D element in the form of the black silk “Couture Study” *replica which will be affixed onto the canvas. Its draped hem will hang freely beyond the image.
