Glenn Martens.

He brought his cool aura back to the Diesel label, made the Y/Project brand shine for years and set Jean Paul Gaultier’s haute couture catwalk on fire last January. He also just “broke the internet” wearing his creations on the cover of the magazine with Nicole Kidman. Perfect . Glenn Martens is not the new little prince of fashion, rather he has become one of them dear ones, from those who activate social networks, stir concepts, move lines and launch hits of the season. At 38, the Belgian designer, born in Bruges and graduated from the Royal Academy of Antwerp, is undoubtedly one of the most followed at the moment.

After making Y/Project, which he took over as artistic director in 2014, one of the most cutting edge labels in fashion today, he also took over the helm of Italian giant Diesel in 2021, moving once again to the heart. Gen Z was the favorite jeans of the 1990s kids. And despite her busy schedule, she immediately said yes to Jean-Pierre Blanc, founder of the Hyères International Festival of Fashion, Photography and Accessories, when the latter offered her: to assume the presidency of the 37th fashion jury^e edition (which will take place from October 13 to 16 at Villa Noailles). Meet the creative marathon runner who knew how to successfully stay very cool.

In the video: Y/Project spring-summer 2021 fashion show

Lea Pekre and the Hyer Festival

“In 2011, Lea Pekre, who was one of the finalists for the Hyer Fashion Grand Prize, asked me to help her at the festival. We had met when, on leaving La Cambre, he was interning at Jean Paul Gaultier, where I myself had worked. He won the award that year. Right, because her collection was very beautiful, feminine and sophisticated. And I personally, accompanying him, had the impression that I was experiencing the entire experience of a candidate who passed the final. Since then I regularly go to the Hyères festival, I love its warm spirit, easy going without any snobbery, and it’s a great honor for me to be the president of the fashion jury this year and to be a part of this beautiful family.”

muses

“As a child, I was mainly obsessed with romantic historical figures. That’s my Bruges side, I guess. In particular, there was Marie de Bourgogne, Countess of Flanders, with a tragic fate, but who I saw as a bit like a Disney princess. My father often took me to visit his noble tomb in Bruges. When I launched my own brand (Glenn Martens, editor’s note), I also had these somewhat tragic heroines in mind, like Elizabeth Siddall, a Pre-Raphaelite model addicted to laudanum. But since Y/Project, I don’t have muses in mind. My idea is that all women can be in my fashion.”

My idea is that all women can be in my fashion

Glenn Martins

Women’s companies

“The first girl I met when I arrived in Paris was called Raine Laurent, a Chinese-Australian who wanted to change her life and who did everything to achieve it with a smile. Since then we haven’t left each other. He was the CEO of my Glenn Martens brand, and now he’s in charge of special projects for Balenciaga. Among my great friends is Stephanie Dhaeger, whom I knew at school in Antwerp. She created jewelry at Y/Project and today designs it for Diesel. I am very family oriented. I have worked with the same friends since the beginning of my career. This is also the case with Ursina Gisi. The first time I saw her, I was deeply impressed by her beauty and the way she dressed. We both grew up at Y/Project where he styled. And today we’re collaborating on Diesel. Besides our friendship, what I love and admire about all these girls is their strength of conviction.

My mother and grandmother

“I was 3 years old when my parents got divorced. It was the 1980s and I didn’t know any children of divorced couples around me. This was not done in Bruges. My mother, Anna, struggled to raise me and my older brother. He worked hard. She was a nurse during the week and did housework on the weekends. This left him little time to take care of us. It was my grandmother Huguette who often took over. She was married to a colonel of the Belgian army, she was a housewife. I hold within me his unconditional love, his loyalty, and his protective side that soothed me. My mother, she passed on to me the sense of resourcefulness.

Femininity

“I’ve always played with the idea of ​​gender clarity in my fashion. At first it was pragmatic because I didn’t have the resources at Y/Project to develop separate men’s and women’s collections. So I made the same pieces for both genders, just changing the style. Now there are separate lines, but I always like that part of the clothing no gender. My main idea is to reflect diversity. I don’t have a typical image of a woman in mind, mine is very versatile, she can be romantic, business girldistant, sensual, sexual… On the other hand, when Jean Paul Gaultier entrusted me with the keys to his house for the haute couture season, I totally played on his goddess wife, strong and carved.”

I’ve always played on the idea of ​​gender fluidity in my fashion

Glenn Martins

Fashion designers

“Phoebe Philo embodies, in my opinion, perfection. I loved everything about her fashion, concept, character, beauty of clothes. I was also a big fan of the romantic dresses of Madeleine Vionnet, still my side from Bruges, and Belgian designers like Anne Demeulemeester or Véronique Branquinho. I loved the world a little dark the colors of the latter: grey, forest green and a long, delicate silhouette, always with this little detail that changes the story. Finally, today I am a fan of Martin Rose, one of the best designers of the moment, whose fashion language is unique. He is also, to those who know him a little, absolutely kind.

Nicole Kidman

“Last September, Kathy Grand (top fashion designer and founder Perfect journal, Editor’s Note) presented me with the Perfect Designer of the Year award and asked who I wanted to accompany this special edition shoot. “Anyone is possible(‘Anything is possible’) he added. I put Nicole Kidman on my list and I was stunned when she said yes. I saw all his great movies playing in my head portrait of a woman, Hours:, Wide closed eyes, Dogville, birthday, red mill and seriesBig Little Lies, where he is great. She is, in my opinion, one of the greatest actresses in the world, a real chameleon who can play anything. With stylist Robbie Spencer, we selected Diesel and Y/Project pieces for her. I wasn’t able to go to Nashville for the shoot (the city where Nicole Kidman has a house, editor’s note), but the result is simply incredible.