Gentle Monster × Maison Margiela launches October 29: 68 eyewear styles and eight-city pop-ups
The fourth collaboration brings compression, twisting and four stitches to 43 sunglasses and 25 optical styles, alongside a Seoul performance by Damien Jalet and Ian McMahon.
The fourth collaboration between Gentle Monster and Maison Margiela goes on sale on October 29, 2026. A Taiwan press release issued October 27 details 68 styles: 43 sunglasses and 25 optical frames. The brand’s Japanese company had released the main campaign film the previous evening. The focus is on moving deconstruction from fashion’s seams and silhouettes into everyday eyewear, beyond a change of collaboration logo.
How does deconstruction shape the frames?
Under the theme Deconstruction, compression, distortion and seemingly unfinished structures become part of the appearance. Oversized frames envelop the face like a mask, while other styles are slim, upswept and use leather. They differ considerably in coverage and visual weight. The brand’s description of an expanded field of vision is a design statement rather than a medical or visual-performance test result; everyday use and the proportions on the face remain useful starting points when choosing a pair.
MM301 02 makes twisted metal and junctions focal details.
Maison Margiela’s four stitches remain on the temples, while some thinner frames bring the lines to the rim for an almost floating effect. The official MM323 T1 imagery shows four white stitches on a dark temple; MM317 LEATHER LBK2 features leather wrapping and an uneven surface, while MM301 02 turns twisted metal and junctions into prominent details. The range’s differences in weight and delicacy therefore extend beyond lens colors.
Four white stitches appear on the MM323 T1 temple.MM317 LEATHER LBK2 wraps the frame and temples in a leather surface.
What are the film and Seoul performance about?
Directed by Alex Prager, the short film places its protagonist in an ever-changing city. The character has ten minutes to reach an appointment; that is the story’s countdown, not a statement that the film runs ten minutes. Crowds and successive characters present the eyewear through clothing, expressions and intersecting gazes. The official campaign photographs use a similar ensemble approach, making glasses clues to character rather than simply products against a white background.
The ensemble campaign photograph presents the collection through different characters and eyewear looks.
Seoul will also host a special performance by choreographer and creative director Damien Jalet and artist Ian McMahon, exploring deconstruction through relationships between bodies, space, objects and light. The available information does not provide a complete performance schedule, admission procedure or daily show count. It should not be treated as a permanent show guaranteed with an eyewear purchase. Visitors can plan shopping and performance attendance as separate activities requiring their own checks.
Eight-city pop-ups and the Taiwan launch
The announced pop-up cities are Seoul, Tokyo, Shanghai, Beijing, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Melbourne and Paris: eight cities rather than eight countries. Seoul’s location is Haus Nowhere Seoul at 433 Ttukseom-ro, Seongdong-gu, scheduled to open October 29. The project extends instability, irregular forms and an unfinished aesthetic into space. Taiwan is not on this eight-city pop-up list, and sales through existing Taiwan stores do not imply an additional pop-up exhibition of the same scale.
The Taiwan release lists October 29 launches at 11 a.m. in physical stores and 7 p.m. online. These are Taiwan announcement times, not the local opening hours of every participating city. Explore the silhouettes on the official collaboration page; Taiwan prices, individual stores’ assortments and sold-out status should be checked against local product pages and store information when shopping.
