Ever since it was announced that Glenn Martens is taking over as creative director at Maison Margiela, the fashion world has been patiently waiting for his debut. And today’s the day. The countdown is on for Glenn Martens’ first show, and it’s couture. The Artisanal 2025 collection is showing tonight, at 7.30pm CET (you can stream on maisonmargiela.com).
After former CD John Galliano’s departure, the vacant CD chair was a tough seat to fill. But if one man can do it, it’s gotta be Glenn – he was made for this. The Belgian designer is about to take his signature Glennisms he built at Diesel and Y/Project and introduce them to Margiela, but he’s for sure going to be looking back at the Margiela archives and bringing some references in as well.
Spoons
The show invite is a Baroque-style spoon this season, nodding to Baroque elements within the collection – but, tbh, we’re expecting to see literal cutlery.
Masks
In a recent interview with Vogue Business, Glenn mentioned that they’re fitting masks for the show (working with a car mechanic who would be soldering them together). Martin’s first show (SS89) had models wearing masks, shifting the attention solely to the clothes rather than the models’ faces. Glenn’s philosophy doesn’t steer away from Martin’s (this is why he got the job after all) – the masks are back. It’s an interesting concept in the age of social media and celebrity models, but maybe we’ll focus more on the clothes rather than who walked.
Nonchalance
In that same interview, Glenn teased who the Margiela woman might be. “She doesn’t care,” he said. Martens is bringing back the concept of actually wearing in your pieces – a Margiela special. The Margiela girl has a nonchalant, down-to-earth attitude: she rolls her cigarettes, she accidentally spills wine on her Tabis, that kind of vibe.
Trompe l’oeil
From his Jean Paul Gaultier residency to his time at Y/Project, Glenn loves to sprinkle in some trompe l’oeil elements. He likes to play with perspective and create dimension. A torso print on a top, or a skirt print on a skirt took a page from Martin Margiela’s own book, adding proportions to the designs, deconstructing the meaning of a top or a skirt.
Underwires
One of Glenn’s signatures at Y/Project was the wiring technique in his shirts and denim. The designer uses wires to create a scrunched, 3D effect on pieces, adding to his structural style that embeds his architecture background.
Denim
There wouldn’t be Glenn Martens without denim. The Belgian designer has been working with denim for years at Diesel and Y/Project, and his couture season at Jean Paul Gaultier featured denim couture. It’s not something that hasn’t been done at Maison Margiela before. We’re fully expecting haute denim couture today.
Baroque vibes
Circling back to the spoon detail: Martens’ show invite tease suggests a grand, Baroque theme for his first couture show at Margiela. His Baroque influences in his previous work (see his Melissa x Y/Project shoe designs) meet John Galliano’s Margiela (think Artisanal collection 2024), bringing drama, intricate details and a darker, more sinister opulence.
Featured image via Getty Images©
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