Maison Margiela (sans Martin) moved from its longtime sequined space on Little Santa Monica in Beverly Hills on the edge of Century City (that space is now Jil Sander) to Melrose Place. The space is airy and bright, with just one central structure of freeform plaster, rebar, and white paint that really calls back to the old Martin Margiela deconstructivist aesthetic of yore. Today's house, under the direction of John Galliano, is best summed up as Margiela, but not Martin. I'm not going to go into whether it's good or bad; as with Alexander McQueen and Moschino and other such brands whose founders left strong, idiosyncratic marks, it is what it is. For what it is, Maison Margiela on Melrose Place a beautiful store with great staff, and it was a pleasure to wander the space looking at some really well-made, beautiful pieces. read more