Nip, cinch, tuck, slash, twist. In a seemingly random game of fashion mash, Glenn Martens concocted his SS20 collection for Y/ Project. And boy, was it fun. Season after season, the complex ideas of cuts and silhouettes we now associate with the brand flourish. With time, Martens’ ways in turning these complex ideas into reality become more sophisticated too. Without an inch of sarcasm, he subverts things we know and makes you look really hard before understanding what is walking past you. These are the definition of double-take clothes. Today, this showcase of contemporary opulence sashayed down the catwalk of Oratoire du Louvre, a protestant church in the 1st arrondissement of Paris. While the collection didn’t necessarily ooze with religious influences, it did indeed protest. Against tradition.
We fell in love with each of the full looks, but there was a clear product-driven vision when it came to putting this collection together. A chunky knit, a pair of jeans, a power suit, a trench coat, a polo dress… Ordinary pieces turned extraordinary thanks to the hands of the Y/ Project studio – just slightly asymmetric, blown up on the sleeve, minimised on the waist. Perhaps more so than before, the clothes were sexy, flashing skin and featuring bodycon silhouettes when you least expected. A pair of op-art inspired dresses turned out to be jumpsuits – their multicoloured stripes first looked like something out of Diana Ross’ 1973 tour wardrobe, now re-cut for some retro-futuristic beach party.
We all still remember those uber-long Ugg boots from AW18, right? Glenn Martens has since developed quite a library of statement accessories, bags, shoes and jewellery. And knowing how important that is in terms of growing a brand, he’s on the right way of becoming one of the Parisian greats. He’s got our vote at least.
Photographs by Jason Lloyd-Evans
