The new Spring Summer 2026 campaign by Maison Margiela, titled “Joy”, brings together fashion, music and collective creativity with composer Max Richter.
The fashion house Maison Margiela has unveiled “Joy”, a short film accompanying the launch of its Co-Ed Spring Summer 2026 collection. The project stars the renowned composer and pianist Max Richter, who performs an original composition created specifically for the campaign alongside an orchestra made up of 43 young musicians from the Association Orchestre à l’École. The film premieres on the same day the collection arrives in stores and online.
The narrative of “Joy” draws inspiration from the SS26 runway presentation, where one of the central themes explored a chaotic night at the opera. Several of the musicians who appeared on the runway now return in the short film, strengthening the connection between the staged performance and the brand’s creative universe.
The film opens inside an apparently empty auditorium. As the story unfolds, the space gradually transforms into an unexpectedly playful environment. Elements such as swings, climbing frames and a slide running through the central aisle turn the theatre into a stage where music and imagination intertwine. The orchestra spent three months rehearsing with Max Richter to prepare the performance recorded for the project.
For Max Richter, the campaign reflects on collective creativity and the power of making music together. The composer, recently nominated for an Academy Award for the score of “Hamnet”, emphasises that performing within an orchestra allows people to share a common vision and communicate through sound.
The short film was shot at the Théâtre de la Villette in Paris. Throughout the film, Richter wears looks from the Maison Margiela Co-Ed Spring Summer 2026 collection, defined by its structured tailoring. The young musicians appear in oversized suits treated with the Bianchetto technique, the maison’s signature white finish.
The campaign also introduces two key accessories: the return of the iconic Maison Margiela Heel-less shoe, with the heel concealed inside the structure of the shoe, and the new Box Bag, a soft leather design with reinforced edges created through thermoforming. The project also extends into the digital space with a Spotify playlist curated by Max Richter and the orchestra, built around the campaign’s central idea: shared joy.
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