No One Is Doing Denim Like Glenn Martens For Diesel
A look at his first runway collection for the brand.
When a designer is working at the helm of more than one fashion house at a time, there’s always the question of whether or not they’ll be able to pull it off. Glenn Martens is currently the creative director for both Diesel and Y/Project, and if he's any example, the key to doubling up on fashion jobs lies in how you interpret a brand's heritage — and in how you lean into what you do best. For Martens, that's denim. Very few people are doing jeans quite like him.
For Diesel’s fall 2022 Milan Fashion Week show, Martens transformed the grungy mall brand’s denim staples into something that feels more elevated. Hand-shredded denim was looped and manipulated to create outerwear with a faux-fur appearance, while cropped keyhole tops in indigo were fitted with oversized jean belts. Even the pieces that weren't explicitly made from denim had a denim look – think printed trompe l’oeil coordinate sets, or catsuits and chambray-style boot pants, similar to the pair Julia Fox wore at the peak of her whirlwind romance with Kanye West last month.
Other standout looks from the lineup included floor-length denim trench coats worn with matching gloves and bonded-jersey jeans in what the brand has dubbed a “Peel Off” effect. There were a slew of fluid, exaggerated silhouettes, but there were also metallic miniskirts paired with printed cardigans – because balance. Martens even reinvented the core cuts from Diesel’s denim library, creating a rehab line in partnership with fabric sustainability specialists Tejidos Royo.
“The power of Diesel is that we talk to so many people,” Martens explained of the label’s wide appeal. “We can push sustainability and innovation, and we can push experimentation and concept. It’s pure Diesel – you need to put it on in two seconds and live your life. [It’s] for successful living."
This article originally appeared on Harper's BAZAAR US.