The loud laughter, the machine gun flow and the curling eye: in fashion, Glenn Martens does not go unnoticed. Already at the head of the creation of Y / Project since 2013, here is the Belgian propelled artistic director of Diesel: his first collection for the Italian heavyweight of jeans, presented on June 21, was one of the most anticipated events of Milanese men’s fashion week.
Since the departure of the restless Nicola Formichetti in 2017, an internal team took over the interim while sales declined … Glenn Martens, recruited in October 2020 by Renzo Rosso, founder of Diesel and boss of the OTB group (which also owns Maison Margiela and, recently, Jil Sander), thus arrives with a double mission: to raise the rating of the label on the scale of the cool and to boost the turnover. “I had a lot of discussion around breakfasts with Renzo the first few months. Being able to talk to him is precious, especially since he is like Diesel: straightforward, radical, without blah-blah. And with a mind-blowing memory ”, says Glenn Martens.
Add to that a visit “In Ali Baba’s cave”, the Diesel archives that span three floors of a hangar in Breganze, Veneto, and you get a designer ready to deliver his interpretation of the brand. The result abounds in 80 silhouettes: “The teams gave their all and the collection is larger than expected. I even kept some under my feet for the next few seasons ”, warns Glenn Martens with a smile.
Spicy and alluring, radical at times, the collection resembles him. Those who whispered that in order to comply with the commercial demands of an accessible global brand, it would have to renounce its biases, will bite their fingers for backbiting. His gimmicks – wide cuts, games of knotting and asymmetry, discreetly diverted logos, taste for high and pointy heels for girls – are all there. But applied to Diesel, whose joy, energy, and sexual thrill he praises, “The pleasures of life, what”.
” To the point “
The dreamlike presentation video is divided into four chapters. A pure variation on classic denim (black, light or raw, in jeans, shorts, dress, jacket) precedes a more experimental passage (treated in patchwork, dyed or unstructured). More sophisticated pieces follow (thigh-high boots, velvet sweaters, slanted pockets and dresses) and a graphic apotheosis where distinct hues unfold, from vitamin orange to royal blue, and where the denim ends up worked in smocking in an artisanal spirit. .
“Usually, my artistic expression goes through the structure of the garment that I like to peel, dissect, but at Diesel, a brand of clothes made to move, I thought more in two dimensions, going straight to the point. In return, it is through the material that our added value must pass: we have done a lot of research on mixed materials, rewoven or reprinted jerseys… We have also worked a lot on upcycling, using old stocks. “
At a time when denim is pointed out as being one of the least eco-responsible materials, the thirty-something was not unaware that he would be expected at the turn of the efforts he would boost. At the beginning of May, he announced the launch of Diesel Library, a permanent line with recycled fibers, chrome-free tanning, and less water-consuming treatments. “I have also changed the suppliers, removed certain polluting washes, even if it means giving up certain possibilities. “
As for the genre, if the man remains a key segment at Diesel, Glenn Martens ensures that the clothes have been designed for everyone. “It is close to my heart that Diesel, beyond the product, carries a message of tolerance and openness. I was 15 when I bought my first Diesel jeans but, in my time, I felt a bit left out as a gay man and fashion was not very involved in societal issues such as sustainability, gender, inclusiveness. Today, wearing them matters to me. As the artistic director of such a global brand, my job is to create a world that I would like to see happen, to be idealistic. “
The native of Bruges may have a reputation as a conceptual designer, he knows perfectly well the economic tenants of his missions. It is from September, when the collection begins to be distributed, that he will know if his bet resonates with the public or if his audacity falls flat. “Jeans are our raison d’être and 40% of Diesel’s turnover comes from them. We must at least maintain it “, he said frankly.
