Glenn Martens orchestrates a revival at Margiela

On Day 5 of Paris Fashion Week, the Belgian house Margiela invited its guests at Le Centquatre, in the north of the French capital. Just a few months after presenting his debut couture show there following his appointment last January, Glenn Martens was back to unveil his vision for the ready-to-wear lines. A highly-anticipated show, not to be missed, blending tribute to the brand’s history with re-appropriation of its codes

A runway show in the spirit of Martin Margiela

After the noteworthy debuts of Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez at Loewe, and just hours before Pierpaolo Piccioli’s first steps at Balenciaga, this Spring/Summer 2026 Fashion Week also marked Glenn Martens‘ debut at the helm of Margiela’s ready-to-wear collections. Drawing from the brand’s archives, the Belgian designer and creative director at Diesel extended his exploration of a daring, conceptual fashion.

From the opening of the show, the reference was clear. Echoing Martin Margiela’s Spring/Summer 1990 show, Glenn Martens invited a children’s orchestra to perform the soundtrack live. Back in 1989, the house’s founder used to reserve the front-row seats of his show for children from Paris’s 20th arrondissement, captured in the iconic shot The Children Play with the Models by photographer Jean-Claude Coutausse. Thirty-six years later, Glenn Martens reimagined the scene with a new idea, The Children play for the models. A subtle way of reminding us that even as time goes by, Margiela’s irreverent spirit remains intact.

Another striking nod to the house’s aesthetic of anonymity? When models appeared with the emblematic “Four Stitches” on their lips, revamped as metallic mouth guards or cheek retractors. A disturbing detail that standardizes faces, while disrupting the codes of traditional runway shows.

Memory and transformation at Margiela

Beyond that, Glenn Martens delivers a masterfully composed collection, balancing tailoring precision with inventive play on volumes. Leather, wool, and of course denim – the designer’s signature fabric – interweave to offer sculptural silhouettes. The suit is remade with a new rounded shoulder construction and armholes that follow the natural lines of the body, while trousers feature dramatically dropped crotches, lending a distinct Y2K spirit to the looks.

In the vein of his couture collection presented at the same venue a few months earlier, he reinterprets a floral wallpaper motif from the 16th century, printed on knitwear as some sort of revamped tapestry. Other details pay tribute to the house’s heritage. Pieces of tape affixed to a dress remind us of the leather tabi shoes tied with adhesive tape from the Spring/Summer 1996 collection. Meanwhile, flat cowboy boots mimic the ballet flats designed by Martin Margiela in 2000.

Glenn Martens asserts his vision

With this first ready-to-wear collection, Glenn Martens makes a remarkably sharp entry into Margiela’s universe. Striking a balance between tribute and reinvention, he lays the outlines for a house in constant motion. Set against a backdrop of controversy, weeks after Miley Cyrus was announced as the brand’s first-ever ambassador, this bold rebirth breaks with Margiela’s long-standing tradition of anonymity.