MILAN — Glenn Martens is set to leave Diesel following the brand’s Spring 2027 runway show, ending his six-year tenure as creative director of the Italian denim label.
The Belgian designer will present his final Diesel collection at 4 p.m. CET on Tuesday, the opening day of Milan Fashion Week. Diesel, part of OTB Group alongside brands including Maison Margiela, Marni, Jil Sander and Viktor & Rolf, said a successor will be announced at a later date.
Martens will remain within the OTB Group as creative director of Maison Margiela, a position he took on in 2020 alongside his work at Diesel.
Reviving Diesel’s Cultural Relevance
Martens joined Diesel as creative director in 2020 and played a central role in reshaping the brand’s image and reconnecting it with a younger generation.
OTB chairman Renzo Rosso praised the designer’s contribution, saying Martens had transformed perceptions of the brand while maintaining its accessible and energetic character.
The designer drew heavily on his experimental background at Y/Project, where he became known for unconventional construction and inventive approaches to clothing.
At Diesel, he translated those ideas into denim and ready-to-wear through twisting, wrapping, fabric manipulation and trompe-l’oeil effects.
His early collections frequently revisited Diesel’s heritage and the aesthetics of the early 2000s, with denim, utility-inspired design and pop culture playing central roles.
From Gen Z Appeal to a More Mature Look
As Martens’ tenure progressed, the Diesel silhouette evolved.
The exaggerated proportions and graphic pop references that helped attract younger consumers gradually gave way to longer hemlines and more tailored shapes, reflecting an effort to broaden the label’s audience while retaining the energy that had defined his earlier collections.
His influence also extended beyond the clothes.
Martens helped Diesel establish a distinctive presence during Milan Fashion Week through unconventional show formats, collaborations and attention-grabbing advertising campaigns.
His final Diesel show is already generating anticipation. A teaser shared on Instagram showed suggestive silhouettes behind a fogged glass panel, hinting at the provocative approach that has become associated with his Diesel presentations.
A Relationship With Diesel That Started Earlier
Although Martens officially became Diesel’s creative director in 2020, his relationship with founder Renzo Rosso began several years earlier.
Rosso first brought Martens into the Diesel universe in 2018, when the designer was selected for the experimental Diesel Red Tag capsule series. That appointment came a year after Martens won the prestigious ANDAM Fashion Award, with OTB serving as a longstanding sponsor and mentor of the prize.
Martens grew up in Bruges, Belgium, and graduated from Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts in 2008.
Shortly afterward, Jean Paul Gaultier recruited him after seeing his graduation collection. Martens joined Gaultier as a junior designer working across the women’s pre-collection and G2 menswear label.
His departure from Diesel marks the end of one chapter of his career, but his continued role at Maison Margiela means he will remain part of OTB’s creative leadership.
