Glenn Martens - Designer, Creative Director of Diesel

[Scott]

PARIS — Y. Project is back.

The French upscale men’s wear label, best known for its avant-garde basics with a distinctive cut, has tapped Belgian designer Glenn Martens to become the new creative director.

The brand has been laying low since founder Yohan Serfaty died in April of cancer.

Martens, who served as Serfaty’s first assistant when the independent brand was launched in 2010, will present his debut collection in January, marking the label’s return to the official Paris fashion calendar. It skipped last season due to Serfaty’s illness.

“I want to build with respect on what Yohan started,” Martens told WWD. “It’s more about regenerating the brand than bringing a fast change.”

There will be freshness, nonetheless. Martens, who decided to put his label on standby to concentrate on Y. Project, said he plans to bring in more color to the brand’s inherently dark side and introduce more technical fabrics to its range of natural materials. Tailoring and construction will become “even more experimental,” in keeping with Serfaty’s high level of craftsmanship. “All in all, the range is wider,” Martens said.

A 2008 graduate of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, the Bruges native was recruited by Jean Paul Gaultier to become junior designer for the women’s pre-collection during his final year at school. He then moved on to G2, Gaultier’s men’s label, and eventually set up his own in 2012.

In his new role, Martens is also expected to revamp Y. Project’s visual image. A new Web site and video depicting the label’s “artistic background” are already in the works, he said. Additionally, the show in January will include a preview of the brand’s first women’s collection, to be presented during Paris Fashion Week in March, setting in motion yet another venture.

Y. Project is stocked in 30 multibrand stores around the world, including such insider venues as H. Lorenzo in Los Angeles, I.T in Hong Kong and Darklands in Berlin.

*wwd.com

 

[Scott]

i have to say i loved what i saw from y. project and have become a real fan of the potential of glenn so looking forward to seeing how he does with this endeavour.

 

[zamb]

Thanks Scott,

I am happy to see this announcement because it means there is a definitive pan for the label going forward

however the writer makes some errors in the article. Y. project was never dead or placed on hold. if anything, the appointment of Glenn to the helm makes for a really smooth transition of the Label
Yohan had worked on the Current FW13 collection in the stores now up until the time of his death. he knew it would be his last hence he themed the collection "release"

I am happy to see it going forward as he was one of the more interesting menswear designers of the last several years

 

[KKnardi]

Great News! Glenn is a great designer

 

[GERGIN]

So excited for this!!!!

 

[RedSmokeRise]

Can it be? An new appointment that makes sense ??

 

[helmutnotdead]

surprisingly, I’m not pissed off.
wish him the best.

 

[jeanclaude]

These days until you see the clothes you cannot be sure if a new designer for a brand will work or not...

 

[Benn98]

These days until you see the clothes you cannot be sure if a new designer for a brand will work or not...

Hahahaha, but he comes from that country who is famous for the vegetable nobody is rushing to get, ever. By virtue of him being born and raised there would be good enough for many on here before they even saw a stitch of clothing. It's called 'the Belgian pass.'

Anyway, Diesel is is as dead as it is deadly. How many times has Renzo tried to breathe new life into it and each time it flopped. The problem isn't with design, it's operational/marketing related. That's what always drove this brand, God, any denim brand from CK to Energie. They've taken that angle away and of course it would come down like a pack of cards.

 

[GERGIN]

These days until you see the clothes you cannot be sure if a new designer for a brand will work or not...

He did a collab with Diesel back in 2018

 

[MulletProof]

that country who is famous for the vegetable nobody is rushing to get, ever. By virtue of him being born and raised there would be good enough for many on here before they even saw a stitch of clothing. It's called 'the Belgian pass.'

Well there are categories! he could’ve been that kind of Belgian when he was independent for a minute but turns out, designing under someone else’s parameters or with the stamp of a corporation is more his comfort zone, it’s almost like he’s French, the honorary kind.

 

[jeanclaude]

He did a collab with Diesel back in 2018

Then I have already saw his clothes...so I am not excited!

 

[bc collector]

It sounds like a "I really need the f*cking money" sort of operation.
I can't think of any other reason why a talented - albeit niche - designer like Mertens would want to try the deadly embrace of the Rosso clan. We have seen them in action with Viktor&Rolf, Margiela and Marni so we kind of now the end of the story already.

 

[dodencebt]

Y/Project is one of the more exciting brands around these days, so I’m actually excited about this if if turns out to be good.

 

[YohjiAddict]

I think it's doomed to fail, not because I don't personally like his work but beacuase I'm not seeing how his niche sensibility can be translated into products for a broader audience. I'm not really aware of the cursed history of Diesel, I just know it seems like an uphill battle considering how saturated the market already is.

 

[Overindulgence]

I mean get that money but . Even if Martens collaborated with Diesel in the past, I would have preferred him to have a career trajectory path similar to Anthony Vaccarello (I guess there still could be a chance for that if Vaccarello hopped up from Versus to Saint Laurent).

I just don't see many people, at least in the U.S., developing an interest in Diesel unless they try to take advantage of the 2000s revival trend somehow. Diesel, to me, is just another department store brand that ultimately ends up in the TJ Maxx RUNWAY section. I will try to remain optimistic though.

 

[kenndale]

Who’s even buying Diesel in 2020?

 

[jeanclaude]

This is from Y-Project (sounds like a Yamamoto third line, by the way) s/s 2018:

tag-walk.com

So basically I expect him to deliver more "deformed denim", but with a Diesel tag sewn on it.

 

[MulletProof]

^ and the mandatory fluorescent green thong tied up on the ankle cause ~quirky styling~.

 

[Yasouss]

Quite an odd appointment. He may be a talented designer but Diesel is just not a brand that fits in with the current trends (for better or worse...). No one will spend the amount of money Diesel charges for their jeans in today's market.