There wasn’t a single piece at Maison Martin Margiela’s show today that didn’t have at least one little quirk or design peculiarity. The first was a fairly ordinary looking suit jacket, which, when examined closely, revealed a pen sticking out of compartment underneath the breast pocket. A bright red poncho might have been made from repurposed Adidas track pants, and a tuxedo jacket had mirrored buttons that glinted in the light. The presentation began with a film featuring the models walking very slowly towards the camera. As each one passed, the pace increased a fraction, until finally they were sprinting, the clothes a mere blur on the screen.

That athleticism served as the basis for the collection—among the suiting and standard offerings were nylon windbreakers and the colors red, white and blue—to the point where one would be forgiven for imagining that this was the Maison’s take on an Olympic uniform (2012 is, after all, the next year of the Games). Either that, or Margiela was simply sending a message to men: go outside and get some exercise. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell.