Always one to keep us guessing, over the weekend Jean Paul Gaultier unveiled the next guest designer to helm its' Couture show. Who could it be? It turns out Glenn Martens from Y/Project has been tapped to steer the ship come July 2022.
True to form, the announcement was not without a heavy dose of suspense - as was the case with Gaultier's recent collaboration with Lil Nas X. Over Instagram Jean Paul Gaultier made sure to rouse our curiosity with a couple of well-placed posts; one of which featured an image of the french designer next to a blurred figure stepping out of the frame. A figure we can now comfortably identify as Glenn Martens.
View this post on Instagram
For Glenn Martens, currently onboard as creative director at Diesel, this is not his first time toiling away at JPG. After finishing his studies at Antwerp's Royal Academy of Fine Arts he was offered a role as junior designer for Jean Paul Gaultier's women's pre-collection. So for the Belgian creative, this is a homecoming of sorts.
As for what to expect from a Martens x JPG Couture collection? Considering Martens has only just been announced there are still a lot of details we're missing. So for the moment, we'll just stick with imagining what this collaboration will offer up.
Martens' appointment follows Chitose Abe's captivating Couture debut for JPG earlier this year. After announcing his retirement in January 2020, Gaultier introduced a new design model; one that would welcome a new designer into the fold each year to lead his Couture line, starting with the Sacai creative director.
Abe's contribution was a pastiche of all JPG's iconic codes. Think Breton stripes, tattooed mesh long-sleeve tops and corseted trench coats. Each piece infused with the distinct flavour of her time working at Comme des Garçons with Rei Kawakubo in the nineties. Of course, a pairing as complimentary as Chitose Abe x JPG has only amped up our excitement to see what Martens will deliver come Couture Fashion Week 2022.
