An iconic silhouette deserves more than an ordinary shoebox. For Maison Margiela, every detail is an opportunity to challenge convention.
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Maison Margiela isn’t an ordinary brand. So why would their packaging be?
Maison Margiela's Tabi is recognized around the world for its unmistakable split-toe silhouette, the Tabi has challenged convention since its debut. When it came time to create a collector's box worthy of that legacy, Maison Margiela wasn't looking for another shoebox.
They wanted an innovative experience.
From Concept to Construction
Working closely with the Maison Margiela team, IDP Direct translated the Tabi's iconic silhouette into several structural design options engrained with the same distinctive split.
But approving concepts on paper is one thing. Making the work in mass production is another.
The split construction demanded precise engineering. Magnetic closures needed to disappear into the structure. Satin-wrapped inserts had to hold the shoes securely without distracting from their form. Debossed footprints in the canvas added a subtle reference to the design's 15th century Japanese origin.
Every detail mattered. Not because it made the box more complicated, but because it made the experience effortless.
Designed to Be Kept
The result is a collector's box designed to be kept, not discarded. An object that carries Maison Margiela's design language beyond the shoes themselves.
Recognized at the Pentawards
On October 16 in London, it earned a Bronze Pentaward at the 2026 Pentawards.
A packaging design award that celebrates more than an interesting structure or a clever idea. It recognizes what happens when a brand's creative vision meets a manufacturing partner willing to engineer, refine, and solve until every detail works.
The Power of Collaboration
This is what we value most about working with Maison Margiela. The conversations, the challenges, the prototypes, the details non-creatives will never notice.
Great packaging isn't the work of one person. Or one team handing an idea to another.
It happens when everyone takes ownership of the result.
Congratulations to Maison Margiela and everyone who helped bring this project to life.
We made something worth keeping. Together.
Explore our factory locations, review our certifications, or talk to our team about what factory-direct manufacturing means for your brand.
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