Maison Margiela's New Creative Director is Glenn Martens
Martens is Galliano's succesor to the fashion house.
The creative directors’ musical chairs game briefly paused, and it picked up again. Fashion people can sigh in relief as someone is now at the helm at the OTB-owned Maison Margiela. Welcome Glenn Martens to Margiela's house.
Martens replaces John Galliano, who ran MMM from 2014 to 2024. Talk about a redemption run!
Martens leaves Diesel, a company also owned by OTB. As an aside, did Diesel have creative directors? (Edit note: yes, I am snarky). Hmm. While working at Diesel, Martens also spent 11 years as the creative director of Y/Proect. After college, he worked as a junior designer for Jean-Paul Gaultier’s (edit note: swoon!) for the house’s women’s pre-collection and the menswear label G2.
Quoted in a press release, Martens stated, “I feel extremely honored to join the amazing Maison Margiela, a truly unique house that has been inspiring the world for decades. And I thank Renzo for the trust he is putting in me.”
Renzo Ross, Chairman of OTB Group, stated in the same press release, “I have worked with Glenn for years, I have witnessed his talent, and I know what he is capable of. After Marin (Margiela), who gave life to the Maison and its unique Artisanal line, and John (Galliano), who made it the most cutting-edge couture house in the world, I am proud to have a third couturier at its helm. Glenn, who studied at Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts like Marin, has already shown his prowess and his vision in couture.”
The OTB Group owns MM and Diesel, as well as Jil Sander, Marni, Viktor & Rolf, Staff International, Brave Kid, and Amiri.