Mannequin That Became a Dress

Designer Martin Margiela reimagined the Stockman mannequins in a series of corset and jacket variations. Iconic 

The linen corsets from Maison Margiela SS 1997 were inspired by couture dress forms known as buste couturière, or buste Stockman — named after the legendary Siegel & Stockman factory on the outskirts of Paris. Since 1867, it has been the world's only manufacturer of sur mesure mannequins, made to order for haute couture houses according to their exact measurements.

The technique has remained unchanged for over 150 years: papier-mâché is applied to a plaster cast, dried, sanded, assembled with a metal stapler, then covered in fleece and stretched with canvas. The finishing touch — a coat of ivory and the application of the house's signature markings. The mannequin is then mounted on a metal stand, and it's ready for work