Born in 1994, Marvin lives and works between two fashionable cities Geneva and Paris. Inspired by poetry which claims to go beyond arts, theatre, literature and fashion. The womenswear designer revisits fashion archetypes through rebellious pieces that combine haute couture know-how and DIY techniques.
After graduating from Villa Arson in Nice in 2016 and HEAD in Geneva in 2019, he joined the Haute École d’Art et de Design (HEAD) in Geneva in 2016 in visual art and then in fashion and accessories design. Marvin M’toumo went on to win the Chloé Prize at the Hyères festival in 2020 for his “Chien Fleur” Collection.
Inspired by names of birds that are usually used as insults, he plays with poetry, practical jokes, and the folklore of his native Guadeloupe, as he channels humorous styles into what he calls “haute couture disguise” to create timeless pieces.
As one of the five designers who were invited by haute couture maison #JeanPaulGaultier to create a capsule collection. Marvin M’toumo, who’s expression effortlessly meshed with the Gaultier essence, created a collection inspired by the sea, offering corsets, skirts and dresses with seashell prints and embellishments.
Marvin M’toumo is committed to using engaging storytelling and strong imagery to redefine womenswear and promote inclusivity in the fashion industry.
The idea of transformation is very present in Marvin M’toumo’s work. He imagines garments for women who like to embody different characters, and he revisits theater costumes to adapt them into elegant ready-to-wear.
Flower Dog
For his 2019 Masters collection titled ‘Flower Dog’, Marvin explores the relationship of French people and animal names and how these are used to denigrate, insult and belittle. Women are called sluts, hens and cougars, as a man is said to be a pigeon. “I imagined from these words archetypal characters, in the form of a wardrobe.” he says.
Each outfit borrows from a different register, from haute couture to disguise, by adopting the mermaid skirt, the satin stitch, the dunce cap, the kangaroo brief, the whalebone or the corset. Thus the chicken wears a sheriff’s uniform with chick yellow plumage, between haute couture goosebumps, and the hair of a real cop.
Marvin is currently developing his fashion house while initiating his first staging projects with his performing arts company “Hibiscus Bodybuilder”.
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