Trickster Magazine

Margiiela’s been part of Estonia’s rap scene for a minute, but today we’re not talking music. He’s just as deep in the fashion game – I mean, it’s in the name.

Your sound feels future-facing, but your wardrobe is rooted in the ’90s: Helmut Lang, Jean Paul Gaultier, Raf Simons, Margiela. What draws you to that era?
– I feel like new clothes don’t really have character. Even when I’m not wearing old designer pieces, I’ll pick vintage stuff with holes and rips. There’s just something special about older clothes. When you go to a store and try on new designer pieces, they don’t carry the same cultural impact. They’re just… clothes.

Was there a moment when fashion clicked for you? How did this all start?
– I think it started subconsciously, through my parents. My mom was named Estonia’s most stylish woman back in 2005, and my dad was always super fresh. He used to buy me all these cool clothes. I remember when I was like seven or eight, he got me these paint-splattered jeans from Japan. I wore them to school and, of course, got the classic “oh, you fell into a bucket of paint” comments. What’s funny is, years later I bought a pair of Helmut Lang painted jeans and heard the same thing again.
But the real switch happened around 15. I found out about the Nude store and saw Ralph Lauren at Kaubamaja. I was buying Ralph and Gucci, had the gold Gucci buckle belt. Terrible.
Until then, I felt like I’d been on autopilot, but that was the moment I thought, alright, I need to step up.
It really kicked off through online music forums. Kanye was dropping the first Adidas Yeezys, and I begged my dad to get them, but he didn’t. The forums had a fashion section, and I started browsing that too. Everyone there was into ’90s Raf Simons and other cool designers. That’s when I really got into it. I’d say those forums had the biggest, lasting influence on me.

Helmut Lang AW1998 Padded Vest / 032c Sweatpants / COS Slides COS

Fashion and music have always been linked – like Westwood with the Sex Pistols, McQueen and Björk, Hedi Slimane and Daft Punk, Raf and Joy Division. Do you see a connection between sampling in music and how designers rework and deconstruct garments?
– Yeah, that’s a good parallel. It’s basically the same thing – you take something old or already made and turn it into something completely new. Like those early Margiela pieces made from gloves.

Makes sense you named yourself after him. What’s the story behind “Margiiela”?
– I came up with it before I even dropped my first song. But when I signed to Sony, they were like, you need a good story for interviews. I had four pairs of Margiela shoes back then, so I just exaggerated it.

Do you still have those four pairs?
– I only have one, and I didn’t even own that one back then.

What’s the holy grail piece that got away?
– There are a couple of pieces I regret selling. But one I’d really love to have is the Alexander McQueen “Life Is Pain” tank top from ’96.
A lot of the stuff I get, I never even wear out. I buy it, wear it around the house, then sell it and move on. It’s all part of the journey – buying all these different things, experiencing them, and maybe finding that one piece out of every fifty that I want to keep forever.

Raf Simons AW1997 Studded Leather Jacket Dior Homme AW2005 / Waxed Jeans Vintage 1993 / Joy Division T-Shirt (turned inside out) / Vintage Snakeskin Boots from Sveta Vintage

Helmut Lang AW2003 Bracelet / Blackmeans Lighter Holder (originally beige, painted black with some nail polish and markers) / The T-Shirt was originally single stitch but I had it shortened by a tailor so unfortunately no single stitch anymore! I also cut the sleeves off with some scissors.

It sounds like fashion is integral to your life. Has it ever been overwhelming – are you ever tired of styling yourself?
– I honestly hate having too many choices. I’ve had phases where I owned 20 pairs of pants, and I’d still always wear the same one. I just like knowing I’m ready to go without thinking too much about it.

Do you ever use fashion as a kind of armor or shield?
– Yeah, I’ve done that. I try to avoid wearing really crazy outfits because the attention gives me anxiety. But I’ve been there. I had these bright red leather Rick Owens joggers with massive cargo pockets and drawstrings – hard to miss. I wore them with wild shoes and this huge cropped puffer with an oversized neck. It felt like armor.
I remember being super self-conscious about these women’s Gucci sneakers I had, covered in flowers. I bought them four sizes too small but took out the insoles and made them fit. I was scared to wear them out. I felt like everyone was judging.
Now it’s crazy to think about that – like, who even cares? You just have to be honest with yourself. If you’re buying clothes to wear, you need to be real about what you actually like.

Has the algorithm changed the way people dress or even create music?
– Yeah, for sure. The instant gratification makes people create with the algorithm in mind. Especially in music – people write songs with a five-second TikTok hook in their head.
Same thing in fashion. People stop dressing how they naturally would. And I’m guilty of it too. If you post a well-fitted pair of jeans and a T-shirt on Instagram, no one cares. But if you wear spikes on your head and some crazy outfit, people go nuts.
Honestly, I wish my wardrobe fit into a small suitcase. I’d wear the same jeans, same jacket, same shoes every day – just rotate the T-shirts. That’s how I dress most days. I do want to own cool clothes, but not necessarily to wear them.

Do your alter egos – Baby Masa and Margiiela – dress differently from your everyday self?
– Yeah, but I don’t really like that. When I go perform at a club, I dress differently than I normally would. There’s still that little voice in my head saying, you’re a rapper, and it pushes me to wear stuff that feels more stereotypical. I don’t like it.

Early 2000s Prada Leather Jacket with a Mink Collar & Crocodile buttons (From my mom’s closet!) / Jean Paul Gaultier SS2001 Tank Top / Dior Homme AW2004 Pants (1/1 sample, made out of alcantara!) / Kiko Kostadinov Harkman Arm Warmers

With your new album Beautiful Day to Die, things got darker and more vulnerable. Did that shift influence your style too? Is it hard to stay authentic as a performer?
– Yeah, it is. I just want to be me all the way. I’m working on it.

Do you think Estonia has caught up in terms of fashion culture, or is there still a lag?
– Back in 2017–2018, me and my friends were really into fashion – we were online kids, we knew everything. But it felt like we were the only ones with these clothes. I remember we found some guy on Grailed selling Rick Owens pants from Estonia and it felt unreal. Women were wearing cool designer stuff, but not many guys.
Now, you see Rick Owens every time you go out.

Men’s fashion in general has gotten more fluid and experimental. Do you still get strange looks sometimes?
– Yeah. I still get homophobic slurs.
Back in 2010, all my friends were buying skinny jeans from the women’s section because they didn’t sell fits like that for men. I really wanted to get a pair too. I remember trying some on, but I don’t think I ever bought them.

You must have some Hedi Slimane skinnies by now, right?
– Yeah, two over there. (points at a pile of clothes prepped for the shoot)

Helmut Lang AW1999 Silver Astro Jacket / Raf Simons SS1999 Sleeveless Button-Up Shirt / Dior Homme AW2007 Combat Boots

Do you ever feel limited by the climate here?
– I hate going out when it’s hot. Most days I wait until the sun goes down. I never wear shorts outside, and I wear a leather puffer jacket all year.
A couple of years ago, I was performing at a hip-hop festival – it was 30 degrees out, and I was wearing a Rick puffer jacket with a massive neck, a Rick balaclava, a Rick mask, a hat, and gloves. I was sweating, but I’m not fully comfortable with my body.
I wouldn’t go out in a tank top. My posture’s fucked up. I feel comfortable in a big jacket.

So… are you a vampire?
– I love walking for hours listening to music, but I could never do it in this weather. (editor’s note: it’s 15°C at best.)

You grew up with parents who were deep in Estonia’s showbiz. Did that feel like pressure or freedom?
– Freedom, I think. But understandably, they didn’t support my choice to drop out of school at 16.

Do you ever regret leaving school that early?
– No, never. But for the first time since I dropped out, I’m actually considering applying to a one-year microdegree at a music school. Whenever I get into something new, I get obsessed. I want to learn everything about it.

Would you ever consider pursuing fashion professionally?
– Only in terms of merch right now, but that’s not real fashion. Just because you like clothes doesn’t mean you want to be a designer.
I’ve had some ideas – upcycling, one-off pieces, experimenting. But if I started designing today, I know I wouldn’t reach the level I want for at least five, maybe ten years. You can’t skip the learning process.
I think about music every day – and fashion pretty much the same.

Canada Goose 2000s Limited Edition Leather Bomber / Vintage Green Day T-Shirt (torn to shreds, there’s more negative space than actual shirt left at this point) / Off-White Carpenter Jeans / Raf Simons Velcro Hi-Top Sneakers / Alyx Dog Tag Necklace