A fearless haute couture debut blending gothic style and sustainable fashion, Glenn Martens leads Maison Margiela’s future
When Glenn Martens stepped into the shadowy, myth-laden world of Maison Margiela, the stakes were incredibly high. He was not only taking on the responsibility of overseeing the sacred Maison Margiela Artisanal collection—the house’s haute couture line, known for its bold experiments in fashion—but this role came with the weight of two legendary predecessors: Martin Margiela himself and the flamboyant genius John Galliano.
So, what did Martens do? He walked straight into the fire and made it look like a cinematic dream.
Why Did Glenn Martens Incorporate Gothic Elegance Into His Designs?
His debut wasn’t just a runway show; it was a spell. It offered a hallucinatory deep dive into decayed opulence and dark romance, where every model looked as if they had just wandered out of a Flemish oil painting. The setting? An underground space adorned with peeling wallpaper, where time felt distorted and beauty was cracked but divine. Glenn Martens didn’t shy away from the house’s rich legacy. Instead, he embraced it, made it his canvas, and added his own twist.
“I’m from Bruges,” he said before the show. “There’s this whole gloomy, Gothic kind of gloominess.” And wow, did it show. That morbid elegance—part church ruin, part couture hallucination—was everywhere: in the ghostly silhouettes, the cathedral-like corsets, the dripping lace and blown-glass sheers. What made it truly genius was how it still felt modern—not a museum piece, but a living, breathing, chaotic vision of fashion’s future.
Look featuring intricate gold embellishments and sculptural metallic mask. Courtesy of Maison Margiela
Sustainable Couture in Glenn Martens’ Margiela Debut
Let’s talk details. Glenn Martens’s debut collection for Maison Margiela Artisanal was one-third upcycled, an intentional nod to both Margiela’s roots in deconstruction and the fashion industry’s growing obsession with sustainability. He didn’t just reuse old materials; he made them feel like relics from a forgotten fantasy world. Think paper patchworks printed with antique wallpaper designs, recycled biker jackets fused with tulle and tin, and ghostly jersey gowns hiding armour-like corsets beneath. Some masks were sculpted from junk jewellery and crushed metal plates. Some dresses looked like they were built from old cathedral dust and dreams.
The show unfolded like chapters in a mysterious book: spectral figures, lace resembling moulting feathers, metallic drapes that shimmered like church relics. Then came the moment—three jersey dresses, veiled and caped, gliding silently through the room like fashion phantoms. Underneath? Constructed corsetry that pushed the hips and rose like a busk at the front—a deliberate, spine-tingling echo of John Galliano.
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Looks from Maison Margiela Artisanal FW2025. Courtsey of Maison Margiela
What Is Unique About Glenn Martens’ Contribution to Modern Fashion?
Let’s be clear: Glenn Martens didn’t just come out of nowhere. He’s been quietly reshaping fashion for over a decade. At the helm of Y/Project, he made conceptual streetwear into a cult phenomenon, twisting, layering, and bending garments until they almost became puzzles.
At Diesel, he turned a denim brand into one of the most talked-about labels of the moment, injecting it with sex, irony, and subversion. He even created a couture collection as guest designer for Jean Paul Gaultier. All of this built up to a moment where his uniqueness, intelligence, and deep appreciation for fashion history collided.
Ensemble with textured black bodice and explosive feather skirt. Courtsey of Maison Margiela
Balancing Tradition and Innovation at Maison Margiela
What sets Martens apart? It’s his willingness to go there—to get dark, to get abstract, and to challenge conventional notions of beauty in a world that often feels like it’s unravelling. For Gen Z, who live in an era of collapse, irony, and rapid reinvention, that hits hard. Martens speaks our language: fashion that’s raw, layered, and anti-clean. Couture that appears as if it has been through something and survived.
He also knows how to balance reverence with rebellion. He honours Martin Margiela’s legacy without becoming a mere imitator. He acknowledges John Galliano’s extravagance without allowing it to overwhelm his vision. Martens has found that razor-sharp space between respect and disruption, and claimed it as his own.
Maison Margiela’s Ethos Reimagined by Glenn Martens
Maison Margiela was never meant to be clean-cut. It’s a house built on mystery, on repurposing, and shattering expectations, then glueing them back together with poetic intent. With Glenn Martens, they have found someone who not only understands that ethos but actively embodies it. He doesn’t simply smooth out the cracks; he fills them with gold.
The timing also feels right. In an age when the fashion world demands both radical change and authentic depth, Martens delivers on both fronts. His work isn’t about trends; it’s about narratives. He transforms decay into glamour, trauma into texture, and silence into spectacle. He gives us stories to wear, not just clothes to buy.
As we enter 2025, the race for fashion’s next era is fully on. Amid all the noise, Glenn Martens is a voice that cuts through—clear, haunting, and unforgettable. Maison Margiela didn’t just take a chance on him; they entrusted him with their legacy, and he didn’t flinch. He has built a haunted house out of it, and we’re still searching for a way out.
Angelo Ruggeri
Journalist and Master, Styling, Business, Design Courses Tutor, Milan