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January 29, 2025

How Glenn Martens’ Y/Project Changed Sartorial History

As Y/Project prepares to shut its doors, we're taking a look back at Glenn Martens's influence on the industry and the brand.

After 16 years of what has been widely considered one of fashions most boundary pushing houses, Y/Project has shut down. The label, founded by Yohan Serfaty and Gilles Elalouf in 2010, was directed by Glenn Martens since the Belgain-born designer took over in 2013. Martens, also the Creative Director of the recently revived Diesel and now Maison Margiela, transformed Y/Project from an edgy menswear brand into an avant-garde reinterpretation of its former self—a brand for the fashion literati, offering wearable statement pieces that scream ‘you know what you’re doing’ in fashion—but only for those who speak the same language.

Once regarded by Business of Fashion as “one of the most anticipated shows at Paris Fashion Week,” Y/Project continually moved the fashion needle forward for the last decade. After 11 years at the helm of the brand, Martens stepped down as Creative Director last summer in a move that shocked the fashion world, and earlier this month after failing to find a buyer, the brand announced they would be shutting down for good.

Martens’s Key Collections

Scroll through eBay with Y/Project in your search and you’ll see just what collections are in high demand for the brand. SS17, FW18 and FW21 are just three of the seasons that have the who’s who of fashion in an eternal chokehold. Martens’s debut show, AW14, turned the brand on its head. Gone were the days of the Rick Owens “fan brand.” We saw in his debut collection exactly why Martens was a staple at Gaultier’s atelier.

It wasn’t until Spring/Summer 2020, however, that Y/Project truly took on mass mainstream appeal. Often regarded as their most successful show, Y/Project SS20 was the most elevated version of the house, and Martens, we’d seen thus far. The brand experimented with colors, textures and silhouettes in a way they hadn’t before—as evidenced by their split leg denim becoming one of the most popular fashion moments of the season. The collection had more life and legs than their shows of seasons past, and we learned that Y/Project doesn’t just love to deconstruct, to forward-think or make a statement—they teach a masterclass in the approach.

Y/Projects Biggest Satorial Moments

No stranger to a red carpet, Y/Project dressed Dove Cameron and Kylie Minogue for the 2024 Met Gala as well as Chappell Roan for the 2024 MTV VMAs.

Arguably one of their biggest sartorial moments, Martens worked with non other than Rihanna to create a very playful version of a Canadian tuxedo. The look, which by definition wasn’t a Canadian tuxedo at all, featured a long sleeve denim cape-like dress and matching thigh high denim boots. We’d expect nothing less from a partnership between Rihanna and Martens, both known for pushing boundaries and reinventing sartorial classics.

Collaborations Gave Y/Project Mainstream Appeal

Y/Project launched a collaboration with Jean Paul Gautier in 2022. The pieces felt both Y/Project and JPG all at once. Statement dresses, prints and color filled the collection in a way lovers of Y/Project, and Jean Paul Gautier, had come to know and love.

Y/Project knows footwear, so their collaboration with Salomon came as no surprise. A more unexpected collaboration for the brand, however? Their thigh high, slouchy UGGs. The collaborations reception came with mixed reviews. However, Martens received overall praise for being able to think outside of the high fashion box.

Early last year, Y/Project announced they would be cancelling their AW24 show. The fashion rumor mill got to milling, and not six months later the brand announced Martens departure. Six months after that, the brand shut down, effective immediately. When questions about where Martens would go next started swirling, Maison Margiela was quickly thrown into the mix. After months of speculation, Martens was officially named the Creative Director of Maison Margiela.

In the wake of what seems like endless movement of Creative Directors from house to house, the fashion world is excited to see what someone like Martens does with a legacy house like Margiela. While there’s only speculation thus far, one thing is for certain: with the track record Martens has, we can expect the Creative Director to turn Margiela on its tabi-loving head.

Kami Thomas

Kami is a fashion and features writer and editor based in Atlanta and New York City. She got her start in writing over 10 years ago and while her career has taken her on a rollercoaster of twists and turns, writing is and has always been her first love. When she's not writing, you can find Kami traveling, scouring the internet for book recommendations, or doomscrolling in the company of her sweet puppy, Myla.

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