Glenn Martens Takes Maison Margiela to Shanghai

The Belgian designer Glenn Martens is surely one of the busiest men in fashion, holding Creative Director roles at both Maison Margiela and Diesel. Martens invited The Run-Through to Margiela’s Paris headquarters during fashion week to talk about his new collection that showed yesterday in Shanghai.

Martens presented both his ready-to-wear and Artisanal couture collections together, accompanied by four exhibitions across China, each dedicated to a founding code of the house. The exhibitions will bring the brand's history to Chinese audiences, covering everything from the iconic “bianchetto” white painting tradition to the house's long philosophy of anonymity. “We love clothes and craftsmanship and garments,” Martens said. “We don't want to focus on the person wearing it."

Martens unpacks the artistic vision behind his third collection for the house, which draws on porcelain dolls and Margiela's instinct for finding luxury in the overlooked. Martens’ team combed secondhand markets for 19th-century gowns and furniture, which were transformed through extraordinary techniques, including dresses dipped entirely in beeswax.

Martens also reveals the secret weapon he used to win over the studio team in his first weeks on the job: his absolutely adorable border terrier, Murphy. "Everybody was smiling, the doors opened, people were screaming, playing around," he said. Murphy has since been gifted his own miniature lab coat.

When it comes to sustaining the creative demands of running two major houses simultaneously, Martens credits countryside weekends as his saving grace — including a Christmas gift he bought himself: a bulldozer for planting trees. "I felt like a proper boy," he said.

Looking at the big picture, Glenn wants to keep having fun. “At the end of the day… that's the reason why we started fashion: because it brings joy.”

The Run-Through with Vogue is your go-to podcast where fashion meets culture. Hosted by Chloe Malle, Head of Editorial Content, Vogue U.S.; Chioma Nnadi, Head of British Vogue; and Nicole Phelps, Director of Vogue Runway, each episode features the latest fashion news and exclusive designer and celebrity interviews.

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