Tyga, Ye, Charli XCX and More Model in Y/Project’s Fall 2024 Ready-to-Wear Look Book
Glenn Martens’ celebration of his 10th anniversary as creative director of Y/Project didn’t go quite as expected. Forced to cancel its planned runway show, the brand gathered friends and supporters for a look book that provides a snapshot of its creative microcosm.
Celebrities including Tyga and Charli XCX joined models Natasha Poly and Irina Shayk and a cast of industry insiders to pose in the fall 2024 collection. Martens forgot to warn his family about the show being scuttled so his dad, who came to Paris to attend, was roped into the shoot as well.
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Ye also made an appearance, consolidating the fashion comeback he set in motion by appearing at the Marni show during Milan Fashion Week. “He’s been following me since 10 years,” demurred Martens, who has maintained friendly relations with the rapper, even as brands from Balenciaga to Adidas cut ties over a series of antisemitic remarks.
It was an unecessary distraction from a collection that easily stood on its own merits.
The Belgian designer channeled the Gothic ambience of his native Bruges with draped hoods, which came on everything from plaid shirts to faux shearling jackets and a black coat layered with slinky jersey. He cited the medieval monks of Umberto Eco’s “The Name of the Rose,” but “Assassin’s Creed” also came to mind.
For all that, there was a lightness to the designs, with Martens using strips of velcro, instead of his traditional buttons and snaps, to achieve his signature twisted constructions.
Gone are the days when the label had to include a “how to” manual with its clothes. Jeans and T-shirts came with removable panels that can be sculpted around the body with intuitive ease.
“It’s true that sometimes I look at my archive pictures and I don’t even know myself how to put it on,” Martens conceded. “We worked quite hard on that, and I think that’s also why the brand is doing well. We’ve got very good sell-through also in the stores because it is more easy to understand.”
That proof of concept matters as Y/Project seeks an investor to help it grow its retail network and ramp up its fledgling accessories business. Shoes this season included see-through clogs, part of its ongoing partnership with Brazilian footwear label Melissa, and a new collaboration with French outdoor brand Salomon on sneakers.
As he looks back on a decade, Martens described himself as “less idealistic” and more grounded in business realities, but Y/Project appears to be maturing nicely as it gears up for the next stage of growth.
“I think it’s quite important that the playfulness is there, always, but we have to make sure that people don’t get lost in it,” he said.
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Launch Gallery: Y/Project Fall 2024 Ready-to-Wear Collection
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