If you love the intellectually-charged, deconstructed world of Maison Margiela, you know it's about more than just clothes - it's wearable art. The brand has built a cult following for its avant-garde designs, from the iconic split-toe Tabi boots to tailor-made jackets with exposed seams, forever challenging what fashion is supposed to be.
For those who are drawn to Margiela's boundary-pushing, conceptual style and want to discover other designers with a similar spirit, you're in luck. Here are 19 amazing brands that share that same rebellious and innovative approach to fashion.
Often called the "Lord of Darkness," Rick Owens is known for his dark, architectural fashion with a gothic-meets-glamour vibe. His designs feature dramatic, oversized silhouettes, draped fabrics, and a signature monochromatic color palette. Each piece is crafted with innovative tailoring and rich, textured fabrics, creating a powerful, avant-garde statement.
Like Margiela, Owens has a high-concept, experimental approach to his collections. The major difference is the aesthetic: where Margiela is cerebral and deconstructed, Rick Owens is more visceral, rebellious, and minimalist-gothic. If you want avant-garde with a raw, edgy energy, this is your brand.
Shop now at www.rickowens.eu
Founded by the legendary Rei Kawakubo, Comme des Garçons is the definition of avant-garde. The Japanese label is celebrated for its unconventional silhouettes, deconstructed forms, and experimental fabrics. The brand’s designs are thought-provoking and often playful, blurring the line between fashion and abstract art.
Both brands share a mission to challenge traditional fashion, but their execution differs. While Margiela leans into a raw, minimalist deconstruction, Comme des Garçons often incorporates bold prints, intricate layering, and a more eccentric chaos. It’s for you if you love Margiela’s conceptual core but want more pattern and playfulness.
Shop now at www.comme-des-garcons.com
Yohji Yamamoto is a master of oversized, flowing silhouettes and poetic, monochrome palettes. His work embodies a sense of artistic rebellion with a focus on impeccable Japanese craftsmanship. His clothes are known for their beautiful drape and fluid movement, creating fashion that feels timeless and deeply personal.
Yamamoto shares Margiela’s innovative ethos, but his approach is more sculptural and fluid compared to Margiela's sharp deconstruction. If you're looking for avant-garde minimalism that feels both elegant and anti-establishment, Yohji Yamamoto's designs are true works of art.
Shop now at www.yohjiyamamoto.co.jp
As one of the iconic Antwerp Six, Ann Demeulemeester is royalty in the world of dark, romantic fashion. Her brand is known for its poetic and brooding vibe, characterized by graceful asymmetry, layered textures, and a primarily monochrome color scheme. It's a look that feels both delicate and strong.
Much like Margiela, Demeulemeester champions a conceptual and deconstructed approach. However, her aesthetic leans more toward a gothic, bohemian elegance rather than Margiela's raw, clinical feel. If you desire avant-garde with a soulful, romantic edge, Ann Demeulemeester is a perfect fit.
Shop now at www.anndemeulemeester.com
A protégé of Comme des Garçons' Rei Kawakubo, Junya Watanabe is a design genius known for his technical fabrics and intricately deconstructed garments. His work often involves patching, layering, and transforming everyday staples like trench anoraks into something completely new and exciting. He masterfully blends streetwear sensibilities with high-fashion concepts.
Watanabe's love for innovative textiles and unconventional cuts will feel familiar to any Margiela fan. He shares that intellectual approach to design but often infuses it with a utilitarian, workwear-inspired edge that makes his pieces stand out in the streetwear world.
Shop now at www.junyawatanabe.com
Viktor & Rolf are a fashion duo who treat couture as a canvas for performance art. They are famous for their conceptual, surrealist shows and designs that blur the line between clothing and sculpture - think wearable bed comforters and gravity-defying tulle gowns. Their work is dramatic, witty, and always unforgettable.
The brand shares Margiela's love for pushing creative boundaries, though in a much more theatrical way. While Margiela explores deconstruction with a raw finish, Viktor & Rolf play with exaggerated silhouettes and surrealism to make a bold, artistic statement. Think of them as Margiela’s fantastical, dramatic cousin.
Shop now at www.viktorandrolf.com
Issey Miyake is celebrated for championing technology-driven, innovative fabrics - most famously, his signature garment pleating. The brand's designs combine artistic expression with functionality, resulting in sculptural pieces that are both architectural and incredibly comfortable to wear. It’s practical avant-garde at its finest.
Miyake's experimental approach to materials and form mirrors Margiela's philosophy. However, Issey Miyake’s pieces are often more colorful and playful, focusing on texture and movement in a way that feels organic and joyful, rather than intellectually deconstructed.
Shop now at www.isseymiyake.com
British designer Craig Green is a star in the menswear world, creating conceptual collections that blend utility with emotion. His work is known for layered detailing, structural forms, and experimental constructions, often using uniforms as a starting point. His pieces manage to feel both practical and deeply poetic, exploring ideas of community and masculinity.
Green’s deconstructed and innovative ethos will appeal to Margiela enthusiasts. His aesthetic is more distinctly utilitarian and uniform-based but is just as boundary-pushing in its celebration of craftsmanship and unconventional concepts.
Shop now at www.craig-green.com
Haider Ackermann is the king of luxe, nonchalant elegance. He is known for his masterful draping, rich textures, and jewel-toned color palettes. His collections often feature languid, asymmetric tailoring that feels both powerfully sophisticated and effortlessly cool, making him a favorite of stars like Timothée Chalamet.
Like Margiela, Ackermann embraces an avant-garde sensibility, but his approach is softer and more romantic. Instead of sharp deconstruction, he opts for luxurious layering and artfully draped fabrics that create a refined yet rebellious vibe.
Shop now at haiderackermann.com
Gareth Pugh creates fierce, futuristic designs that are pure runway drama. His sculptural work feels like armor from another dimension, often using unconventional materials like rubber and PVC to craft bold, geometric shapes. His aesthetic is sharp, theatrical, and unapologetically avant-garde.
Pugh shares Margiela’s deep commitment to pushing fashion to its conceptual limits. While Margiela's experiments are often subtle and deconstructed, Pugh's are loud, theatrical, and fiercely futuristic. He’s a must-see for anyone who loves fashion as pure spectacle.
Shop now at garethpugh.com
The late, great Azzedine Alaïa was a master couturier celebrated for his form-fitting, sculptural designs that felt like a second skin. His innovation with materials like studded leather and perforated knits set him apart, all held together by his impeccable craftsmanship and understanding of the female form.
While his style is more sensual and structured than Margiela's deconstructed look, Alaïa's obsession with pushing silhouettes and manipulating fabrics aligns with that same avant-garde spirit. His work offers a timeless way to embrace experimental fashion elegance.
Shop now at www.alaia.com
DRKSHDW is Rick Owens' more accessible, streetwear-focused diffusion line. It carries the same dark, avant-garde DNA as his main collection but expresses it through everyday pieces like oversized hoodies, drop-crotch joggers, and distressed denim. It's the perfect entry point into the Rick Owens universe.
If you love the experimental edge of Maison Margiela and the gothic cool of Rick Owens, DRKSHDW lets you incorporate that aesthetic into your daily wardrobe. It’s layered, moody, and effortlessly ahead of the curve.
Shop now at www.rickowens.eu
German-Persian designer Boris Bidjan Saberi creates avant-garde menswear that fuses technical performance with raw tailoring. His collections are known for their intricate layering, anatomical construction, and gritty finishes, often using artisanal dyeing techniques to create a lived-in feel. His aesthetic feels raw, functional, and deeply experimental.
Like Margiela, Saberi is fascinated by craftsmanship and deconstruction. His work has a more utilitarian, almost dystopian edge, perfect for those who appreciate handmade details and a darker, textural style.
Shop now at borisbidjansaberi.com
As the daughter of legendary designer Yohji Yamamoto, Limi Feu continues the family tradition of avant-garde Japanese design. Her brand is known for experimental, asymmetrical silhouettes, heavy layering, and an almost-exclusive use of black. Her clothes are rebellious, unconventional, and androgynous.
Feu's conceptual approach and monochrome palette will resonate with fans of Margiela’s philosophy. Her aesthetic is similarly innovative and intellectual, offering an understated yet powerful alternative for those who love playing with shapes and proportions.
Shop now at limifeu.com
Led by Glenn Martens, Y/Project is a Parisian brand that has become famous for its playful, deconstructed designs and exaggerated proportions. Martens takes historical references and twists them into something hyper-modern and completely unexpected, with customizable denim and dramatic, sculptural tailoring.
Y/Project shares Margiela's conceptual, deconstructed DNA but injects it with a bold, streetwear-inflected sense of humor. If you love clothes that are versatile, challenging, and don’t take themselves too seriously, Y/Project is a brand to watch.
Shop now at www.yproject.fr
Damir Doma is known for his "intellectual" fashion, which focuses on minimalist, layered silhouettes and rich, textured fabrics. His designs explore a thoughtful tension between sharp cuts and soft drapes, often in a muted, earthy color palette. The overall feeling is subdued, sophisticated, and contemplative.
Doma's love for exceptional craftsmanship and non-traditional forms appeals to the same sensibilities as Margiela, but his work is quieter and more wearable. It’s perfect for those who want architecturally interesting clothes without the overtly theatrical flair.
Shop now at damirdoma.com
With a focus on conceptual, uniform-inspired menswear, Craig Green consistently creates some of the most exciting pieces on the runway. His design signature involves experimental construction techniques, intricate layering, and sculptural add-ons that give his work a unique emotional depth. It’s fashion that's part utility, part modern art.
Green’s approach echoes Margiela’s deconstructed and innovative spirit but is filtered through a lens of workwear and structural experimentation. His focus on creating almost ritualistic fashion pieces makes his brand a compelling choice for fans of conceptual design.
Shop now at www.craig-green.com
Japanese designer Mame Kurogouchi creates exquisitely detailed clothing that feels both delicate and complex. She is known for her sculptural shapes, innovative fabric manipulation, and intricate details inspired by traditional Japanese crafts. Her pieces combine modern silhouettes with a deep appreciation for artisanal techniques.
Kurogouchi's avant-garde approach to form and texture will appeal to the Margiela devotee who appreciates craftsmanship. While more refined and feminine, her brand shares an experimental spirit and an incredible attention to detail that makes each garment special.
Shop now at mamekurogouchi.com
Founded by Demna Gvasalia, Vetements became famous for its ironic, deconstructed streetwear that completely disrupted the high-fashion landscape. The design collective plays with oversized proportions, appropriation, and a raw, unfinished aesthetic, challenging ideas of luxury and wearability.
Just like Margiela, Vetements subverts fashion norms with conceptual and often witty designs. It's the modern, streetwear-centric successor to Margiela's original mission, making it a perfect alternative for those who love anti-fashion with a post-modern twist.
Shop now at www.vetements.com
At Apart Style, we're obsessed with curating the best in fashion, beauty, and jewelry to help you discover new brands we think you'll love. Every brand we feature is independently selected by our editorial team based on quality, style, and uniqueness. When you make a purchase through our links, Apart Style may earn a commission - which helps support our small team, and allows us to continue bringing you the best in online style brands.
Looking for more inspiration? Explore our full brand directory or check out our curated brand guides to find your new favorite thing.
