Désir du jour - Maison Martin Margiela

Being a romantic at heart, I couldn't resist these Maison Martin Margiela pumps. They reminded me of the glass slipper from the Cinderella fairytale. Although quite unique, this particular design is conservative for a man who is known for his ground-breaking designs.

After graduating from Antwerp's Royal Academt of Fine Arts, Belgium born Martin Margiela worked as a freelance designer for five years before working for Jean Paul Gaultier from 1985 to 1987. He launched his own label in 1989 and quickly became known for pushing the boundaries of fashion. With oversized proportions and hemming designs on the outside, Margiela operates on the principle of deconstruction when creating designs. While working on his own label, from 1997 to 2003, he worked as the creative director of Hermès' women's line.

In a day and age when celebrities are over-exposed, Margiela was fiercely private. He never had his picture taken, stayed back stage after his shows and dealt with the media via fax. He preferred to let his designs to the talking for him.

Margiela's trademark became a discreet piece of cloth with the numbers 0 to 23, each number representing what the article clothing was (e.g. part of the collection for men or women, footwear and eyewear). This piece of cloth was attached to the inside of a garment, or on the outside of an unlined garment, with four little white stitches. For the 20th anniversary of Margiela's label, this tag was replaced by a classic logo.

Although no longer creative director at Maison Martin Margiela, Margiela's label continues to flourish under a new design team which is bringing a fresh young approach to the brand, while maintaining the design aesthetic of the unique designer.

Don't wait for a prince like Cinderella! You can buy your own pair of glass slippers on Polyvore for $2,100.