New Beginnings: Glenn Martens takes over Maison Margiela

It’s the news of the week: Glenn Martens has been officially named the new creative director at Maison Margiela succeeding in this role John Galliano, who exited the iconic house in December. Effective immediately.

Taking the helm at Margiela is a natural next step for the 41-year-old Belgian designer, who has made himself a name as the creative director of Y/Project (he succeeded the brand’s founder Yohan Serfaty after his sudden death in 2013 and leased it until its closure in 2024) and more recently reviving Diesel and making it one of the coolest brands on the fashion radars. It will allow him to refine his craft, develop his talent in Haute Couture, and continue to elevate the legendary fashion house. “I am truly honoured to be part of the fantastic team at Maison Margiela, a unique brand that has been inspiring the fashion world for decades,” Glenn Martens stated in the official press statement following his appointment.

“I have worked with Glenn for years, I have witnessed his talent, and I know what he is capable of,” said Renzo Rosso, president of the OTB group, in the same statement. “After Martin Margiela, who brought the house and its unique artisanal line to life, and John Galliano, who made it the most avant-garde house in the world, I am proud to have a third designer at its helm.” Rosso believed in Glenn’s talent and offered him the position of creative director of Diesel in 2020. Since then, Diesel's sales have grown 13%. So it seems only natural that when the right occasion occurred, Renzo Rosso thought of him for this prestigious design job.  

Highly anticipated, this appointment does look like a match made in heaven. Both Martens and Martin Margiela are Belgian and graduates of the prestigious Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. But that’s not all — Jean-Paul Gaultier links them, as well. Margiela worked alongside the legendary French designer at the very start of his career, just after graduating, and Martens followed a similar path, collaborating with Gaultier when creating his 2022 Haute Couture collection. Their aesthetics also share certain similarities — deconstruction and reinterpretation, an unconventional approach to materials and textures, and an offbeat couture style that sometimes gives their pieces an “anti-fashion” edge.

This prestigious appointment will place Glenn Martens firmly in the spotlight, especially if he continues to hold his position at Diesel (TBC for the moment), and with an upcoming collaboration with H&M already announced for 2025 (we will keep you posted, of course!). So, remember his name — Glenn Martens is set to take the fashion world by storm and capture everyone’s attention this year. Stay in the know!

Text: Lidia Ageeva