Moustache Guard by Maison Margiela

Maison Margiela
Moustache Guard, 2010
Lot: 11 cups

Maison Margiela transformed a set of forgotten cups with a wink to Victorian etiquette. Each cup is fitted with a sleek silver guard — a playful nod to the 19th-century invention that kept a gentleman’s moustache dry while drinking tea. With its mix of refinement and irony, Moustache Guard Cup calls for “the return of the moustache,” turning a relic of manners into a modern statement of style.

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Droog bought 5,135 leftover items from Dutch liquidation auctions: everything from handkerchiefs and dog baskets to mirrors and salt shakers. They invited 14 designers to “revive” the lots into a collection of 19 products, each sold in editions limited by the size of the lot, and launched the result during Salone del Mobile, Milan, 2010.

The concept was accompanied by a short manifesto (about re-directing creative energy and redesigning lifecycles) and a charming “new owner” photo campaign that documented each purchaser right after checkout.