MILAN, ITALY — Lay a hand on Glenn Martens’ oversize, exceedingly dense denim separates or dishevelled suiting for Diesel, and it would seem that he takes no heed of retail imperatives. But that would be a rather myopic view of a disruptive outing.
The Belgian-born, Paris-based designer approached his Autumn/ Winter 2026 collection with cleverness, pushing material norms to conceive garments that are oddly appealing. Stretching from twisted classics to permanent creases that brought a sultry opacity that appeared to be sucking up all available lightness, Martens’ crinkly textures bore a resemblance to subversive numbers (with similar techy toiles used in previous outings).
Between those two extremes, however, he created a universe that embraced novelty while leaning on the archive: thousands of pieces made up an immersive installation, with a profusion of collectable objects that showcased the house’s eclectic means of expression across denim, garments, and bags.
Comparatively speaking, these garments—namely, double-layer jersey tops rucked up as if thrown on, unstructured fluffed-up alpaca coats and skirts with peplums—can be worn feeling like you’ve been part of a wacky fashion experiment.
“This collection is about waking up in a place, with no idea what happened last night, and you are the most glorious person ever. When you sneak away from the hotel room of the person who you don’t even know, you are truly at your best. These are super-wearable pieces for successful living, the essence of Diesel,” Martens, creative director of Diesel, in the show notes. And what a bold essence that was.
This season, clothes pointed to the yarn to continue developing a vocabulary, and the house’s dictionary of statement pieces will surely become a guide from which he can move into more commercially-appetible territory at the brand.
In a city filled with romance and a longing for classics, some might advise him against such conceptual thinking, but then few young designers can be as daring with proportion play in equal measure, too. All in all, if Martens’ visual language remains complex, there’s still value in the fact that he has something to say.