Inspired by the medieval architecture from his Belgian roots, Glenn Martens took his own spin on the classic design codes at Maison Margiela.&nbsp;

Since it was announced in January that <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/glenn-martens-maison-margiela-creative-director-diesel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Glenn Martens</a> would be stepping into the leading role at <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/shopping/maison-margiela-gentle-monster-third-collaboration-shop" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maison Margiela</a>, everyone has been waiting patiently for his debut collection. Martens, the creative director at <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/diesel-fall-winter-2025-milan-fashion-week" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Diesel</a> since 2020 and formerly <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/y-project-memorable-iconic-runway-moments-glenn-martens" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Y/Project</a>, has been thought to be the perfect successor for Margiela. Therefore, Martens' first collection for Margiela is all about the tone he plans to set for the future of the brand. And his debut show made it known that his vision both honors the house that Martin built, while keeping the Martens flair we know and love.
Layers of palatial imagery covered the walls of the Le Centquatre in Paris, creating a collage-like effect that mirrored the anticipated runway show. Inspired by the Gothic architecture of medieval Netherlands and Belgium, the collection represented a level of sharpness and verticality native to the buildings of the period, while not feeling overpowering. Martens was influenced by 16th and 17th-century Dutch and Belgian paintings, and by the French symbolist painter, Gustave Moreau. From tactfully mimicking Moreau's brushstrokes to embossing imagery of Flemish wallpaper onto garments, the collection was all about the small details creating a larger optical illusion with each look on the runway.&nbsp;
These themes were not immediately obvious, as the first looks that went down the runway were constructed from sculpted clear plastic. Because, as much as the collection was about honoring Martens' Belgian roots, it was also about finding beauty in unassuming materials waiting to be repurposed. The marriage between the medieval imagery and the deconstructed nature of each look made the collection feel effortlessly modern but effortful in design. Martens is designing for a new type of <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/avant-garde-haute-couture-dior-chanel-fendi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">couture</a> buyer, more interested in the future of what luxury fashion will look like, rather than relying completely on the past for inspiration.
There were key elements to the show that were distinctly Margiela, especially through the covering of the models' faces. At <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/art/martin-margiela-art-exhibit-lafayette-anticipations-paris" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Martin Margiela's</a> first show during the Spring/Summer 1989 season, masked models walked down the runway, which would continue to be a theme throughout his career. This was a key element to Martens' first collection at Margiela, which allows us to see all the looks for the designs themselves. Another nod to the house's previous creative directors was in the intense corseting inspired by medieval dress, but it also felt very <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/john-galliano-dior-sex-sacrilege-controversial-haute-couture-2000" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Galliano</a>-esque.
Glenn Martens' first collection at Margiela did exactly what he was supposed to do by staying true to his own design codes and paying tribute to Margiela's legacy. Click through the gallery below to see all the looks in the collection.&nbsp;

Glenn Martens Reinvents Haute Couture with his Debut Margiela Artisanal Collection

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