MILAN, Italy — Glenn Martens has relocated from his outlandish realms for Diesel to the quiet corners of Milan. Whether temporary or permanent, he doesn’t yet know, but one thing’s for sure: the Italian scrum of aficionados suits him.
And with the temperature difference, Milan is undeniably a better place from which to conduct research for his Spring/ Summer 2026 line. This season, he’s spearheading the renovation of utility-driven offerings and tailoring, disrupting the show format into something bigger — or, as the notes describe, “the biggest democratic act yet”: an Egg Hunt of 54 looks scattered across the city. The lineup appears within egg-shaped vessels, some of which were installed in the showroom space, where models showcased part of the collection for insiders.
With his signature eye for flamboyance, Martens revived the tousled silhouette of his best-selling denim suits, sometimes pairing it with lasered effects for a distressed iteration. Meanwhile, slouchy details push proportions in a flirtatious, daring — yet slightly slicker — direction.
“The idea of democracy is, of course, always connected to Diesel,” Martens told editors backstage at his Milan outing. “It’s a lifestyle brand more than a luxury brand, so even though we have clothes that really belong on the catwalk, we do always have to remember that we are really about the community, about the people, about everybody.”
Models rotate every ten minutes between vessels, ensuring a constantly shifting presentation. But what’s the reward? “The first five people to find all the eggs will receive a made-to-measure piece by Christmas.”
When it comes to the clothes, Martens is direct about his creative direction. “It’s important for me to do something a bit different once in a while,” he remarked. “As we’re talking to so many different people, I think it’s also nice to do something with a diverse twist.”
He describes the lineup as “wild, with a lot of treatments,” adding that it reflects “the whole concept of the animal that comes from within,” referring to a denim texture interwoven with satin. Standouts include heavily pocketed garments and utility wear bonded with taffetas and printed fabrics.
“When I arrived at Diesel, tailoring was my background, and I was a little bit frustrated because we don’t have that tailoring heritage,” he said. “But that’s also okay, because the real core of Diesel’s treatment is denim, and I think we’ve always been the best team for me in how to create new ways of seeing it.
“The amazing thing is that I don’t even come from that; I’m not really a graphic person, so it was exciting to dive into this proper woven world. Since I wasn’t senior in treatment and fabrics, I think I was actually more experimental than expected, simply because I had no idea,” he concluded, his face lit with sheer excitement. “I have a team of fabric geeks, which is always nice given how experimental this all feels.”
by Chidozie Obasi