Y/Project's Glenn Martens talks style, diversity and Chanel

Glenn Martens was giving nothing away when, at a party during Paris Fashion Week, a year ago, I asked him if he was showing next at Pitti Uomo. Fast forward to 2019, my question was answered. The brilliant Belgian-born designer not only unveiled his latest collection in the Tuscan capital at the preeminent menswear trade show, but produced what was his biggest and most impressive fashion offering to date.

One of Paris' heavyweight young designers, Glenn Martens is the creative director of hit brand Y/Project. Over the past few years he has risen in prominence with every collection and collaboration he tucks under his belt, his most recent collaborators being Diesel Red Tag, Honest By and Ugg. While the fashion cognoscenti knows this wunderkind well, those outside of fashion would have been introduced to him via Bella Hadid, Chloë Sevigny, Lil Wayne and Rihanna who all wear his designs regularly.

Last Wednesday the 35-year-old designer staged a watershed show at Pitti, at one of the most important Gothic sanctuaries in Tuscany, the Church of Santa Maria Novella, convening a ‘mode de masse’ crowd of over 3000. Show-goers entered through the dark church and were armed with flashlights (distributed by Y/Project) and ushered to the church's courtyard corridor where the 53 looks were shown.

After the show, I sat down with Martens to talk Y/Project, the collection, diversity and Chanel.

Geoff K Cooper: Congratulations on the show! You look so energized, like you could do it again tomorrow...

Glenn Martens: Uh, haha... no. The good thing is that I have a beautiful team now. Two years ago I was still doing production myself. Pitti is a big thing... it takes a lot of effort because you do your looks in Paris, you do your styling and casting in Milan, and then you come to Florence for the show. Over everything you have to do it is actually a preparation across three cities. So no, not tomorrow! [laughs]

GKC: So why the church of Santa Maria Novella?

GM: Pitti Uomo is a fair so it’s something very democratic. Everybody can join it, everybody can be there, everybody can attend, and I wanted to translate that as well in the show. Shows often are an exclusive thing. You have to be part of the fashion crew to be invited and I really wanted to have something that everybody could come to. We had over 3000 people attend the show. Santa Maria Novella was chosen because of the democracy of the place. It was the only place really where I could host 3000 people.

GKC: How did you approach this collection given that it was going to be shown at Pitti Uomo?

GM: Actually, this collection was already designed before I was even confirmed to be at Pitti. We are 25 in our company. I have to be very organised, so the collections are drawn way beforehand because you have to give yourself time and everybody has to be super organized. Obviously knowing it was Pitti, in the styling we went a bit further. We had those Monica Bellucci moments with the fur looks. We went for some Italian beauty - I mean we were in Florence.

GKC: What was behind the flashlight concept?

GM: When I got this venue I thought it was a nice idea. It’s so nice to discover aspects of a church at night, I thought it would be a really great experience. When I go into a church or a historical building there are so many interesting details to be seen. For me, it’s very important to see what people see and with the flashlight, some people go for the shoes and some for the necklace and others go for the jacket, or the total look if they can see. And that’s also how I think we will discover art. We all have different aspects or different things we want to see, so we focus on different things.

GKC: What is your aesthetic about?

GM: For me, it’s really about eclecticism, diversity and opulence. A lot of opulence.

GKC: Was this aesthetic clear when you joined Y/Project?

GM: Hmm. My own brand was quite diverse prior to joining our project. I’ve always been quite different. In the beginning, when I was in school to my first year as a professional I was extremely obsessive about classic beauty, elegance... I was very immersed in the Belgium way, overcontrolling. I am still very controlling but [I think I] got bored with classic beauty, that’s when I wanted to have something which was much more multi-directional.

GKC: And where did that come from for you?

GM: My father was a judge; my grandfather is an artist and my great grandfather was a commoner, so I’ve come up from all different directions. What I love also about being in my position is that I have to create art but then also make a turnover, and then also make my teams happy. There are so many different aspects which make a collection. You have to be on so many levels playing with so many different things. It’s very multifaceted.

Of course, in the beginning, when I took over Y/Project, I had to stay very close to Yohan [Serfaty, the brand's founder], out of respect for him. When a brand is in mourning and the person has passed away, you have to show respect for that person as well as the people involved, who are still transitioning.

GKC: Where are you in terms of what you had envisioned Y/Project to be when you started?

GM: Every season we have a different type of concept. If you look at it we are so eclectic and we do have so many different types of product groups. It’s so easy to create clothing for the same type of person every season but we go for so many different things. For us, if you focus on one look versus another look, you would see streetwear and the next you would see Monica Bellucci. Together they make sense and separately maybe not. For me, it’s one massive collection and it really makes sense.

GKC: How does art inspire Y/Project?

GM: A lot of things influence me but honestly, I don’t think it’s art but really people that influence me. My friends, diversity...

GKC: Let’s touch on diversity... how do you approach and treat with diversity?

GM: In the studio, we are 25 people in total, and I think we have almost 25 different nationalities working together to make our collections. It’s like Paris, Paris is a city that wasn’t built by French people only but a number of different types of people. This is our history, and this is the reality of the world... that’s what we try to create also at Y/Project. We have a very diverse collection plan, a very diverse casting. It only makes sense if everything is together and I think that is true throughout today. If another designer says different that’s up to him. For certain people, certain houses, they do things differently. For example, Yohan, when he was alive Y/Project was a different brand and had different desires and ideas.

Two years ago, my casting director told me that I was the only one in Paris casting North African models and I was like “what... I had no idea.” It had never occurred to me that this was a thing as it was very natural to me. Now, being informed I feel very responsible to ensure diversity. I also believe in freedom of expression. If one day I make a collection inspired by Irish mermaids, I probably would only have like white redheads in there. But I do think you have to be responsible and you have to educate people once you have a voice.

GKC: How does Y/Project speak to the concept of style?

GM: Most of our pieces at Y/Project are conceived to be adaptable – to your mood, to your style, to however you want to wear it. We don’t want people hiding behind the brand we want people to emphasize their personality. So, I am talking to those types of people who really want to discover who they are, what they want to be, who know why they want something.

GKC: What’s next?

GM: Womenswear [laughs] We can’t sleep yet. It’s already drawn... I drew all of it before Christmas. I do have to look at my team and say nope, you can’t sleep yet!

GKC:Guest designers at Pitti Uomo tend to move into major roles and big houses... or are expected to. Do you see yourself following a similar trajectory?

GM: I am in an extremely lucky position. I am in the best position ever because I am the head of a brand that is growing 30% per season with a team I’ve picked myself. So, I am in a very happy place... I’m not looking for another job. That’s a luxury and I know that. Most of the proposals that come to me are not challenging so there is no reason for me to take on something else. I am not going to say no to everything. Of course, if Chanel comes to me [laughs] I’m joking, I am not there yet.

GKC: But you might say.. hello Chanel?

GM: I am not looking for anything, but I’m open to everything, so you never know.