Fashion’s game of musical chairs is hotting up again. After the announcement earlier this week that Haider Ackermann was taking on the top job at Tom Ford, another big industry manoeuvre has just hit the headlines. After 11 years at the helm of Y/Project, Belgian designer Glenn Martens is stepping down from his role as creative director of the brand. “Y/Project thanks Glenn for his unique contributions to the label and wishes him the best for the future,” read a statement shared with WWD this afternoon. The label also went on to add that Martens had created, “a fascinating narrative for the brand, leading to an impressive period of growth, earning both critical acclaim and commercial success.”

In the same statement, Martens also praised the label and paid tribute to his predecessor, the late Gilles Elalouf, who founded the company in 2010. “Glenn Martens thanks Y/Project and Gilles Elalouf,” continued the statement, “the late CEO of the brand who tragically passed away last June, for giving him the support and freedom to express his vision while expanding on the creative artistry that the label established.”

With Y/Project’s Paris Fashion Week show due to take place imminently, the news comes as a huge shock. The label’s SS25 offering – which is scheduled for September 29 – is somewhat of a return to the runway, as February’s AW24 show was cancelled last minute due to cash flow issues. However, according to WWD, it is “not immediately clear” if this September’s show will still go ahead. 

Since Martens took his post in 2013, the Belgian designer’s name has been practically synonymous with Y/Project, and he is credited with turning it into the buzzy brand we know today. In the fashion world, Marten’s skewiff sweaters and crooked hems have garnered a cult-like following, and the label has also collaborated with brands as diverse as Fila, Jean Paul Gaultier and Salomon under his direction. 

At the moment, it is unclear who will take on the job at Y/Project. Last year, the company’s new CEO Pascal Conte-Jodra was looking for outside investment for the brand, but according to new reports, the uncertainty of Marten’s position may have put a spanner in the works. At the same time, it’s also unclear whether Martens is leaving because he’s headed to another brand. The designer has his hands full as the creative director of Diesel, but he could well be looking to add another label to his roster.