Maison Margiela Unveils the Bianchetto Atelier Experience in Shenzhen
The interactive activation allows attendees to transform their own garments using the house’s signature white paint technique.
Summary
- Maison Margiela hosted an immersive atelier experience in Shenzhen as part of the broader MaisonMargiela/folders initiative
- Attendees were guided by the brand’s Paris team to apply the iconic Bianchetto overpaint to their personal wardrobe items
- Archival materials and installation documentation from the event are now accessible globally through a dedicated Dropbox
Maison Margiela has officially launched the “Bianchetto: Atelier Experience” in Shenzhen as a core extension of its ongoing MaisonMargiela/folders project. Hosted at the Hairun Badminton Courts in the Nanshan District from April 11 to April 12, the activation offered clients a rare, hands-on opportunity to engage with one of the Parisian house’s most defining visual codes.
Guided by the Maison Margiela Atelier team, attendees were invited to bring a personal wardrobe item and transform it using the brand’s signature Bianchetto technique. To fully immerse guests in the process, each participant was provided a blouse blanche—the traditional white lab coat worn by the house’s staff in the Paris ateliers and offices. Originally introduced during the brand’s inaugural 1989 show, the Bianchetto application covers the surface in white paint, leaving visible brush strokes that turn the piece into a blank canvas. The paint naturally cracks and fades over time, effectively documenting the garment’s unique history of wear.
The Shenzhen event serves as a physical touchpoint for the larger MaisonMargiela/folders initiative, which was conceived to reveal the inner workings of the house through physical and digital archival files. Following the Fall/Winter 2026 runway show in Shanghai, the project continues to unfold through a series of exhibitions and experiences across China. To ensure the ideas and values that define the brand are globally accessible, Maison Margiela is actively updating its working digital folders via Dropbox, making exhibition materials and installation documentation available to the public.
