Is Glenn Martens Paris Fashion Week’s Most Sought Out Name?

The world of fashion is full of new, interesting, and unique characters. They come and go, moving around like in musical chairs, and present their fresh ideas to the industry in hopes of solidifying their names on fashion week calendars. But, few have created such omnidirectional waves as Glenn Martens.

Originally from Bruges, Belgium, Martens has a degree in interior architecture and originally, and had zero plans of working in fashion. After applying to the prestigious Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp with nothing more than a few sketches in his portfolio, Martens was accepted into the program and graduated first in his class.

From there, his experience became a whirlwind of glamour supported and mentored by some of fashion’s biggest names. After completing his studies, Martens was offered a position at Jean Paul Gaultier as a junior designer for the women’s pre-collection and menswear collections. He also launched his own brand in 2012 which made its debut at Paris Fashion Week and ran for three seasons.

Shortly after, Martens became the creative director of Y/Project after having worked directly under the brand’s founder, Yohan Safarty, until the time of the designer’s death. Martens has since elevated the house to the point that it quickly found its way onto all of the A-listers and fashionistas.

Martens is no rookie on the Parisian fashion scene, but recently he’s been the talk of the town for multiple different reasons—all at once. In a span of two months, the designer has released 3 separate collections for 3 different houses. Although it's not rare to see designers wear multiple hats at once, it is an impressive feat to produce 3 collections and have them all be hits. Let us dive a little deeper into Martens' recent work and how he’s shaking Paris down, one collection at a time.

Y/Project aw 2022

To start off the Glenn montage, the designer debuted his AW 2022 collection at Y/Project, the brand that’s taken up the majority of his time since 2013. Martens has had commercial success with Y/Project for years now, cementing it as a street style staple. From its signature oversized styles and intricately layered looks, the brand has become Martens's first golden child. But, there was something about the most recent collection that really had the critics buzzing.

For starters, the most recognizable upfront was the trompe l’oeil body prints and penis pants—a Jean Paul Gaultier signature. This was a tease for a collection to come, as Martens was set to role-play as creative director of Gaultier’s couture line for one season only. “We took one of his most iconic prints and we interpreted it in a Y/Project way,” Martens tells Vogue, “It’s very layered—you have men’s prints and women’s prints and they go on top of each other.”

Source: Vogue Runway

The collaboration had been announced months earlier when JPG made the announcement that he would open his couture ateliers to 5 guest designers, Martens one of them. Given that Gaultier has an immeasurable couture reputation, the collaborations were a huge honor and highly anticipated.

The collection was full of maxi dresses with naked female bodies printed onto them, intricate knitted styles, and lots of denim and puffer work. The audience was left vibrating from the intensity of the collection, yet this was only the beginning of Martens parade through Paris.

Jean Paul Gaultier Spring 2022 couture

At last, it was time for Marten’s debut at the house of Gaultier for their spring 2022 couture collection. In a very tight and intimate setting, industry insiders gathered to see what Marten’s would serve them. It's safe to say that no one was disappointed, even the ones that saw the collection virtually.

Instantly, the crowd was bombarded with Gaultier-isms, but presented in a modern silhouette a la Martens. Dresses with sharp silhouettes that countered the models’ bodies, a signature Gaultier characteristic, opened up the show. First in black and white, then in white and black, and after in knitted fabrics and bold colors. Tulle was gathered and sewn onto a thin mesh, while straps of satin fabric were corseted onto the models in both top and bottom iterations.

Source: Vogue Runway

One dress was a knitted ankle-length lone sleeve dress in Gaultier’s signature sailor stripes, but Martens added his own style by covering it completely in appliqués that closely resemble sea coral—a genius way of tying the themes together.

The most break-taking moments were large voluminous dresses towards the end of the catwalk. In emerald green, black, blush, these dresses came down the runway demanding attention and slightly covering the feet of the attendees. The 6-inch stilettos stepped firmly and with dignity as the models closed the runway show. This show was without a doubt now forever part of fashion history, and everyone who witnessed it knows it for certain.

DIESEL Fall 2022

Now taking a complete departure from both his own creative brand and one of the biggest names in couture, Martens presented his AW 2022 collection at Diesel. Martens has been producing collections as part of the Italian brand’s revamp since spring 2022. Known for its on-the-ground fashion style, the brand is known for its street style and innovative garments, two values that Martens already has experience in.

There was a denim overload on the Diesel catwalk, but that isn’t to say that Martens didn’t bring anything new to the table. There were two oversized coats that seemed to be made of fur. It was later revealed that the coats were made from denim that had been brushed to simulate fur.

Source: Vogue Runway

“The power of Diesel is that we talk to so many people. We can push sustainability and innovation, and we can push experimentation and concept. It’s pure Diesel—you need to put it on in two seconds and live your life. For Successful Living!,” says Martens in the press release that followed.

Marten’s also brought back Diesel’s signature ‘D’ logo, which hasn’t been seen on the runway ever. Mini skirts were made of large belts, and models walked down the runway in ribbed glitter ensembles, with glitter skin and hair to match. With his reign at Diesel just beginning, the world of denim innovation is Martens oyster.

With so much attention on Martens, we can’t wait to see what else he has in store for us. Although his time at Jean Paul Gaultier was short-lived, yet magnificent, Martens still has two houses at his fingertips. Paris, and now the world, will be paying close attention to the designer in hopes of catching another glimpse of his genius.

Which of these collections is your favorite? Leave a comment below.