Sign up to receive the Vogue Business newsletter for the latest luxury news and insights, plus exclusive membership discounts.
Glenn Martens announced his departure today from Y/Project following 11 years as creative director.
“Y/Project thanks Glenn for his unique contributions to the label and wishes him the best for the future,” a statement issued by the label said this afternoon.
Today’s news follows the death of the brand’s late CEO Gilles Elalouf, who founded Y/Project in 2010 and was its driving force. The label’s last scheduled show, meant to take place in Paris this February, was cancelled at the last minute in order to “focus on internal investments”.
Today’s statement added: “Glenn Martens thanks Y/Project and Gilles Elalouf, the late CEO of the brand who tragically passed away last June, for giving him the support and freedom to express his vision while expanding on the creative artistry that the label established.”
Elalouf originally founded the label with Yohan Serfaty at its helm. Three years later, following Serfaty’s death from cancer, Martens was appointed to succeed him. After several seasons of dutifully channelling his predecessor’s work, the Bruges-born designer began with electrifying effect to allow his own instincts a freer rein.
Martens’s method at Y/Project has been to pursue an experimental “war on symmetry”, applying verve-filled abstraction to undermine convention both in gender norms and dressing orthodoxy. His must-see Y/Project shows in Paris attracted the admiring attention of many across the industry. They included Italian entrepreneur Renzo Rosso, who appointed Martens creative director of Diesel in October 2020. Martens is due to present his next collection for the Italian denim behemoth on Saturday, 21 September, during Milan Fashion Week.
Comments, questions or feedback? Email us at feedback@voguebusiness.com.
