At a time where collections live mainly on screens, how do you break that fourth wall to make consumers want to reach for them?

For some, it means building tall tales around each offering. For MM6 Maison Margiela, a tried-and-true method is focusing on clothes rather than characters, adding visual intrigue to wardrobe staples and utilitarian fare through off-kilter constructions and materials.

The pre-fall lineup doubled down on this direction, as the creative team pursued “an exploration of normalcy as the new embodiment of sexy,” according to the collection notes.

Elongating silhouettes and slouching volumes were the main ideas this season for women. Armholes enlarged vertically resulted in sleeveless jackets with armholes dipping so low they bared the side of the body, while dropped waists turned jeans worn with a gray sweater and a duster coat into a dramatic A-line silhouette. Meanwhile, thick knits seemed to give into gravity, baring the shoulders as balloon-shaped tops or turning into curve-skimming dresses with graceful bell sleeves.

Menswear played on trompe-l’oeil material choices and the interplay of layers. A deceptively crisp khaki green shirt, shown with slacks and a tie, was made from thin vegan leather. Elsewhere, a neo-varsity jacket worn over a red sweater revealed itself to be a sweater with sleeves made of wool suiting paired with a faux leather vest.

Such details were a reminder that the foundation of the Margiela world is garment construction mastered inside-out and vice versa. They built up to a solid outing but also dispelled any notion that one could just thrift their way to the same effects.