It was hard to imagine what could be the ready-to-wear counterpart of the magnificent haute couture debut of Glenn Martens at the helm of Maison Margiela. Waiting for the show to start, starting with the well-illuminated white and bright venue, surely it was not going to be something headed in a dramatic, sombre direction, which it certainly didn't need to be. It was clear the garments presented would be made to be seen and to be worn under the light of day rather than surrounded by the darkness of night. And so it was. A new interpretation of the codes created by Martin was presented by the fellow Belgian, a trip back in time that remains grounded in the present, giving us back the rawness and roughness that works now just as well as it did back then.
The show starts, and a group of little kids dressed up playfully in suits a little too big for them takes the centre stage in the all-white runway. The hint of a live orchestra was already there with the instruments being arranged from the beginning, but the idea that the musicians would appear giggling, holding hands and smiling from cheek to cheek certainly was a nice way to relax the tension in a room eager to see what was one of the most anticipated RTW debuts of the season. Immediately, the idea of kids in Margiela makes sense; there appears in our heads the heartwarming and unforgettable image of that Spring 1989 show, the first Martin show ever, where the local kids shared the runway with the models, dancing and running around them. A swift reminder of the less pretentious side of this industry, of the fact that many of us feel towards it the same innocent and pure joy little kids feel playing with their friends or just existing without any worries.
From the sweetness of childhood to the harshness of a mouth bound to be ever open, thanks to the metallic pieces every model was wearing. The legendary four stitches that are a symbol of the brand, that despite being made to underscore the importance of a tag or of a logo being the one to give value to a garment, have become the quintessential mark for “yes, I’m avant-garde like that” can now be found right in our faces. No more hair hiding it when falling on our backs, or mums cutting the stitches thinking they are factory defects. Now we know you are wearing Margiela; we can see it in the four metallic stitches opening your mouth, with the irony of you not being able to say a word about it because it has become a gag that not only doesn't let you talk but also hides any facial expression you may have. In the haute couture show the faces were covered; in this ready-to-wear we can see them, but they still say nothing. Identity is still not a priority for the brand, and it's fine like that.
In Glenn we trusted for carrying accordingly the codes of a house that was always about the rawness and roughness of fashion. Altering, reclaiming, repurposing. Garments don't need to be perfectly polished to be worn and to serve their purpose, and that imperfect feeling ends up being more human than anything. Each look represented a take on the day-to-day attire, with a wide presence of denim pieces, alongside suits, shirts, trench coats, coats and dresses, all infused with a makeshift feeling to it, whether it's thanks to the proportions where they don't fit quite as they should, the silhouettes being slightly off or the more evident pieces, where tape holds thin spaghetti straps in place or accentuates the waist if needed.
This tape extends to become not only just a resource but also an inspiration for experimentation, blending aesthetically with the plasticised pieces already introduced in couture. From hardware jewellery that has been trapped in plastic and that keeps being what it was, now just in a different shape, to silk jackets interleaved in a transparent material that gives them a new waterproof function while somehow keeping their original shape and appearance. The overall feeling of the collection was one where if we encountered one of these S/S 2026 pieces in any of those cool designer vintage stores in Antwerp, mixed with the rest of the pieces from early days Margiela, it wouldn't be hard to mistake them as something from that era as well, in the most flattering way possible.
Glenn is achieving what may be one of the most important things when it comes to the succession of a brand, and that, especially this season, has become more apparent than ever. Not dramatically changing it all, sweeping away everything that has come before and saying, “I’m here,” but meticulously bringing and creating a sense of stability, of continuation from the story that someone else already started writing before your arrival. Couture was the perfect vessel to continue an energy and a vision that was deeply loved, and ready-to-wear now became a way of bringing back the elements that helped build a legacy with a new and fresh perspective that, from head—or mouth—to toe—look at those shoes—speaks the language shared with someone else, but using your own accent.
