Glenn Martens confirmed as new creative director

Maison Margiela has announced Glenn Martens as its new creative director, succeeding John Galliano and confirming the widespread speculation of recent days.

Renzo Rosso, chairman of parent company OTB hailed his talent after having worked with him for a number of years in his role as Diesel creative chief.

It means he steps into the hotseat previously occupied by two of the fashion world’s most influential designers — the notoriously publicity-shy house founder Martin Margiela and more recently the sometimes-too-publicity-hungry John Galliano — and there’s a clear opportunity to reshape the label in his own image.

Margiela established his label as minimalist with a twist, while Galliano moved it towards more of an extravagant positioning, and there’s a chance Martens could shift it back to the quirky ‘Antwerp style’ for which it was known under Margiela. But the couture element will remain.

Rosso highlighted how Martens studied at Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts and “like Martin, has already shown his prowess and his vision in couture”.

Martens himself didn’t give any clues, simply saying that he’s “extremely honoured to join the amazing Maison Margiela, a truly unique house that has been inspiring the world for decades. And I thank Renzo for the trust he is putting in me”.

Martens has a powerful track record and once worked with Jean Paul Gaultier. He creatively led the now-defunct Y/Project but left after 11 years in September last year. He remains creative director of OTB’s Diesel label, his CV showing his skill at both a higher-end designer level and a more premium commercial one.

In an interview last year, Rosso praised him both for his couture sensibility and ability to tell a story with each individual piece he creates.

OTB has held a controlling stake in Margiela since 2002 and after the founder stepped back in 2009 the label was designed by a collective team. Galliano was appointed in 2014, with Rosso helping him back to the fashion spotlight after his infamous Paris cafe meltdown and his resulting exit from Dior.

He justified Rosso’s faith with a series of well-received collections and his spring 2024 Maison Margiela Artisanal couture offer was one of last year’s most praised collections.

Martens meanwhile joined Diesel in 2020 and has been widely praised for his work there, helping it both aesthetically and commercially with sales having risen strongly, particularly among the key younger demographics.