Finding Martin Margiela

The enigmatic 51-year-old Belgian fashion designer, pictured above circa 1997, has rarely been photographed since.

I wondered if he was more or less elusive than Thomas Pynchon in this respect.

The 71-year-old Pynchon likewise avoids photographers and verified pictures of him are few in number.

Six appear below,

the first of which (above) is a 1953 photo from his Oyster Bay (Long Island, New York) High School yearbook (The Oysterette) captioned "'Pynch'; P&G Yearbook; Trade Fair 2, 3; Sr. Play student director; Spanish Club 3, 4: Honor Society 3, 4; likes pizza; dislikes hypocrites; pet possession, a typewriter; aspires to be a physicist."

This one

comes from the "Best Student" section of the yearbook, honoring Pynchon for being the best male student of 1953.

Next comes one

lifted from a yearbook group staff photograph.

Then there's this one, part of a staff photo for the Purple and Gold, his high school newspaper.

The caption reads, "The Purple and Gold has carried on the old tradition of service to the school. It has also made its own new innovations. The principal one being a column by Thomas Pynchon that has dealt with such learned subjects as the 'Life and Times of Hamster High,' a legend about a stupid knight, and, of course, the 'Boys.'"

This undated picture

comes from Microsoft's Encarta.

Finally, this 1955 shot

of the 18-year-old Pynchon at the Navy's Bainbridge, Maryland Training Center.

It was first seen in David Cowart's 1980 book, "Thomas Pynchon — The Art of Allusion."

So far it's 1-6 in favor of Margiela.

Anyone out there care to change the score?

You know what to do.

[via The Modern Word]