Since his appointment in 2013, Y/Project under Glenn Martens has become an insider favorite for its cool conceptual approach (and impeccable styling). Season after season, Martens continues to build on his signatures creating a through-line that makes the pieces so highly coveted. This season was no different! With offerings of unique denim, suiting, covetable accessories (like a handcuffed clutch), stellar outerwear, and gowns we’re sure will be censored on Instagram.
Let’s explore 6 takeaways from the Y/Project Menswear Fall-Winter 2022 collection below:
wear your body on the outside:
Foreshadowing his upcoming special creative director role for Jean Paul Gaultier, Martens reinterpreted a famous JPG print in a Y/Project fashion, producing a series of trompe l’ oeil gowns, suits, shirts, and tanks. From models clad in neon x-ray colored gowns depicting the female form to oversized suits overlaid in tulle with the collection’s running trompe l’ oeil effect. We predict we’ll be seeing a lot of these garments on the red carpet, street style pics and on some pop our favorite celebs (looking at you Rih).
big red riding hood:
In typical Glenn Martens fashion, there were a lot of exaggerated silhouettes. Talk about staying warm—well with these oversized, exaggerated hoods you’ll surely stay warm. Combining sporty elements with rouged hoodies and voluminous puffer jackets and coats. How chic would it be to travel around the snowy streets of NYC in that oversized black puffer coat?
designer models?:
It’s been a season of surprise debuts on the runways this season (see Jeff Goldblum sashay at Prada) and what a surprise it was to see beloved Belgian designer Olivier Theyskens walk the runway at Y/Project. With his signature middle part, bone straight hair, wearing an oversized wool coat with Martens’ signature ruffled appliqué, stacked black trousers with a darted pleat, and a trompe l’ oeil abdomen shirt. It’s always nice to see designers support each other, but this cameo takes it to a whole other level. Will we see more of these surprise cameos next month for womenswear?
denim, denim, denim:
Y/Project continues to have a stronghold on denim. The way Martens elevates such an everyday staple, through rouging, deconstruction and assemblage, darting, etc. is truly one of the masterful signatures of the brand. With this collection he expanded upon that signature, interjecting denim throughout; deconstructed denim mini-skirts, hooded denim jackets, rouged pleat jeans.
Photo by Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images.
the new mini:
Although the mini-skirt has always been in fashion, it’s really having a moment right night (see the highly coveted & celeb fav Miu Miu mini skirt from Spring-Summer 2022). Martens presents his version of a Y/Project mini. exhibit A; a grey denim, deconstructed/reconstructed mini that resembles a shirt lining. There was also a black denim mini, with a scalloped hem lining (shown with pearl embellished pumps—so chic).
cutouts are here to stay:
Martens always manages to stay on trend while not deciphering the trend on the nose. As cut-outs continue to infiltrate runways and celebrity IG feeds, Martens is presenting cutouts done his way. In the past few seasons, we’ve seen cutouts at the Parisian-based label—From Fall 2021 RTW, to Spring-Summer 2022 womenswear, with cut-out keyholes—and this season we see shirting with exposed midriff cutouts and sequined shirt-dresses with exposed waist midriffs.
