October 2, 2023 |
Just over a week ago, Glenn Martens staged a stadium-sized Diesel show during Milan Fashion Week that drew in 6,000 members of the public (including 1,000 students). Though a more intimate affair, Martens’ Y/Project show Sunday evening buzzed with a similar, palpable energy, as the brand’s loyal Gen-Z following packed themselves into the frow like sardines. It’s a testament to Martens’ design power, which has always spoken to a youthful audience thanks to his rebellious handwriting, often born out of necessity (the brand’s knack for designing garb that can be worn a multitude of ways was originally Martens’ way of showing the same look twice on the catwalk without guests noticing).
Like with his work at Diesel, here Martens continued to push the limitations of denim in ways only he knows how. Like proposing swollen jeans that frothed in off-kilter formations, or controlling heaps off the fabric into severe hooded bomber jackets dyed a deep purple. Warped and wonderfully weird, other standouts included distorted negligee frocks worn with necklaces shaped like snakes, crumpled up crop tops, and a series of metal foil gowns that looked as if they were constructed from molten lava. This is a designer firmly in his own league.
Photography by Christina Fragkou.
