Lines & Brand Knowledge
Maison Margiela Numbers 0–23: A Guide to the Product Lines
What the circled number on a Maison Margiela label says about the collection
akko
September 8, 2026
📖 6 min read
👁️ 37 views
Maison Margiela introduced its 0–23 numeric index in 1997. When a number is circled on the white label, it identifies the product line: Artisanal, womenswear, menswear, accessories, eyewear, fragrance, shoes, or another part of the house. The number is not a size or a season code.
Many commercial pieces use the numbered label, while some runway and special pieces carry the house's blank white label with four corner stitches. The presence or absence of printed numbers therefore needs to be read in the context of the piece.
Maison Margiela Line Numbers
| Number | Line | Origin given by the house | Current position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Artisanal Collection | 1989 | Active |
| 1 | Women's Collection | 1998 | Active |
| 2 | Cultural dialogue and projects | 2025 | Active |
| 3 | Fragrances, including Replica fragrances | 2008 | Active |
| 4 | A Wardrobe for Women | Spring/Summer 2004 | Active |
| 6 | MM6 | 1997 | Active |
| 8 | Eyewear | Spring/Summer 2008 | Active |
| 10 | Men's Collection | Spring/Summer 1999 | Active |
| 11 | Accessories for women and men | 2005 | Active |
| 12 | Fine jewelry | Historical | Not listed in the current house overview |
| 13 | Objects & Publications | 1999 | Active in the house's line index |
| 14 | A Wardrobe for Men | Spring/Summer 2005 | Active |
| 15 | 3 Suisses collaboration | 1999 | Short-lived historical project |
| 22 | Shoes for women and men | Autumn/Winter 2005 | Active |
Maison Margiela's current house history and line index provides the main names and dates. Numbers missing from the table are not given a consistent description in that public overview; an uncircled number on the printed index does not identify the product.
Line 0: Artisanal
Line 0 is the Artisanal Collection. It began in 1989 and builds garments and objects through handwork, reconstruction, found materials, and atelier techniques. The collection values the transformation of materials as much as their conventional luxury value.
Artisanal first appeared on the Paris haute couture calendar as a guest collection in 2006. Maison Margiela later became a full member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in 2012. These dates describe its couture status; the Artisanal practice itself began much earlier.
What 0/10 Means
Some Artisanal menswear pieces circle both 0 and 10 and are described as 0/10 or 0-10. Collectors read this as Artisanal work associated with the men's line: 0 for Artisanal and 10 for menswear.
This is an observed label convention rather than a separate permanent line in the house's current public index.
Lines 1, 4, 10, and 14
These four numbers separate the main ready-to-wear collections from the “Wardrobe” lines:
- Line 1: Women's main collection
- Line 4: A Wardrobe for Women
- Line 10: Men's main collection
- Line 14: A Wardrobe for Men
Lines 4 and 14 focus on wardrobe pieces and recurring essentials, while Lines 1 and 10 carry the main seasonal collections. The pairings are 1 with 4 for women and 10 with 14 for men.
The historical numbers still explain the structure behind older labels. Maison Margiela's public line overview does not promise that every current retail item will display each distinction in the same way.
Line 6: MM6
Line 6 is MM6 Maison Margiela, introduced in 1997. MM6 has its own collections and retail identity, with clothing, footwear, bags, and accessories. Its approach tends to be more casual and direct, while retaining ideas such as altered proportions, unconventional construction, and everyday objects used in unexpected ways.
An MM6 label identifies that line; it is not another number for Maison Margiela women's mainline.
Line 2: Cultural Projects
Maison Margiela introduced Line 2 in 2025 for projects built around cultural exchange and collaboration. The first Line 2 project was presented in Seoul in September 2025.
Line 2 is therefore a project platform rather than a conventional clothing category.
Lines 3, 8, 11, and 13
- Line 3 covers fragrance, including the Replica fragrance range.
- Line 8 covers eyewear.
- Line 11 covers accessories for women and men, including bags, belts, and small leather goods.
- Line 13 is Objects & Publications, covering the house's work with objects, interiors, installations, and printed material.
These numbers allow products outside ready-to-wear to sit within the same label index.
Line 12: Fine Jewelry
Line 12 was used for women's fine jewelry, including work produced through a licensing relationship with the Damiani Group. It appears in a Spanish Museum of Costume record and period Damiani business records but is absent from Maison Margiela's current public line overview.
That makes Line 12 most useful when identifying historical jewelry. Its absence from the current overview should not be read as proof that a particular piece is inauthentic.
Line 22 and the Tabi
Line 22 is the footwear line for women and men. Maison Margiela dates it to Autumn/Winter 2005.
The Tabi predates Line 22. The first Tabi shoes appeared in the Spring/Summer 1989 show, when footwear sat within Line 11. Later Tabi boots, ballerinas, loafers, and sneakers can carry Line 22 because the house created the dedicated shoe line years after the design first appeared.
For help choosing a pair, see the Maison Margiela Tabi sizing guide.
How to Read the Label
- Find the circled number or numbers.
- Match them to the product line in the table.
- Use the care label, product code, materials, and construction to identify the specific piece.
- Treat blank labels and combined numbers as context-dependent formats.
The circled number explains where the item belongs within Maison Margiela. Dating and authentication require additional evidence because the same line number can remain in use for many years.
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