Glenn Martens brings runway concepts to accessible collection with a shift in tone
While preparing his debut couture collection for Maison Margiela next month, Glenn Martens has released his Resort 2026 collection for Diesel, maintaining involvement with the denim brand.
The new offering moves away from the overt provocations and vibrant tones of Martens’ early Diesel work, instead opting for a more understated approach to the brand’s unconventional image. Previous hallmarks like ultra-short silhouettes and exaggerated distressing have been exchanged for structured forms and manipulated materials.
Several ideas presented in Diesel’s February runway show appear in this ready-to-wear capsule, where the core strategy revolves around repurposing recognizable fashion items with denim techniques and trompe-l’oeil applications.
Cocktail dresses, tailored jackets, and voluminous skirts are included in the lineup, but rendered with fabric treatments that alter their appearance. Notably, Neoprene was cut into below-the-knee dresses and collarless jackets, then processed to resemble worn denim, while traditional denim trench coats and blazers were printed with faded tweed-style checks.
Among the more developed garments was a bonded wool and Neoprene coat, shaped with a slight curve through the waist and accented by a knitted collar that functioned as a hood—suggesting a more mature design direction.
The tailoring in the collection emphasized ease of movement and informal proportions. This segment included double-breasted jackets with printed-on folds, offered alongside pieces that blurred the line between skirts and trousers, or skirts with spray-paint style graphics that recalled the fall 2025 runway set.
Martens also introduced leather into the mix, using it as a base for illusion-based designs such as jackets and belted coats that merged leather and denim motifs.
Knitwear continued previous Diesel experiments, including printed interiors that created faded, almost vintage-looking surfaces. Sequined finishes applied to denim sets added a glossy layer, while a group of zip-up mini dresses and soccer-uniform-inspired items extended the range into sportswear.
Throughout, the collection retained links to the brand’s identity through fabrications and layered references, but the tone and presentation leaned more toward conceptual reinterpretation than shock value.
