Diesel Confirms Glenn Martens’ Departure as Creative Director
Glenn Martens is leaving Diesel after the Spring/Summer 2027 collection, closing out one of the most influential creative chapters in the brand’s recent history.
Last updated: 8 October 2026
Diesel has confirmed the conclusion of Glenn Martens’ tenure as Creative Director, following the presentation of the brand’s Spring/Summer 2027 collection in Milan on 22 September 2026.
Martens’ departure marks the end of a defining era for Diesel, where the Belgian designer pushed the Italian denim brand deeper into fashion, youth culture and experimental design while maintaining its rebellious identity.
Since taking over the creative direction of Diesel, Martens helped reshape the brand’s visual language around denim, experimentation, provocative silhouettes and cultural collaboration. Diesel says his tenure strengthened the brand’s international relevance, editorial presence and product desirability.
Glenn Martens’ Final Diesel Collection
The Spring/Summer 2027 collection became Martens’ final runway show for Diesel.
Presented in Milan, the collection continued many of the ideas that became signatures of his Diesel era: exaggerated denim, experimental construction, body-conscious silhouettes and a deliberately chaotic approach to dressing.
The collection also leaned into Diesel’s long-running connection with nightlife, music and self-expression.
Diesel described the SS27 collection as disruptive, sexy, fluid and inclusive, with denim once again at the centre of the story.
Among the standout elements were coated and lasered denim designed to resemble leather, trompe-l’œil treatments, cut-outs, merged garments and the continuing evolution of the D-One bag.
A Major Chapter for Diesel
Martens joined Diesel’s creative leadership in 2020, helping move the brand into a new era while preserving the irreverence and accessibility that have long been part of its identity.
His work was particularly important in repositioning Diesel for a younger global audience.
The designer’s approach blurred the lines between fashion, street culture, nightlife and entertainment. Denim was no longer treated simply as a commercial staple; under Martens, it became a canvas for distortion, reconstruction and experimentation.
Diesel itself describes the brand as an alternative to the established luxury market, with its collections under Martens spanning apparel, accessories and wider lifestyle collaborations.
Renzo Rosso Thanks Glenn Martens
Diesel founder Renzo Rosso praised Martens’ contribution to the brand, highlighting his role in reconnecting Diesel with younger generations and placing it back at the centre of the global fashion conversation.
Rosso also credited Martens with creating a stronger foundation for Diesel’s future while maintaining the openness, energy and accessibility associated with the brand.
The company has expressed its gratitude to Martens for his creative contribution and the cultural legacy established during his tenure.
Martens’ Diesel Legacy
One of the biggest changes under Martens was the way Diesel approached denim.
Rather than treating denim as a supporting category, Martens repeatedly made it the starting point for experimentation — manipulating its proportions, textures, washes, construction and relationship to the body.
That approach can be seen across his Diesel collections and campaigns.
The brand’s FW26 campaign, for example, continued to explore distorted denim, D-Heel jeans and the D-One bag through a global visual project spanning cities including New Delhi, Cairo, Shanghai and Rio de Janeiro.
His Diesel work also extended beyond runway collections into collaborations and cultural projects, including the brand’s street-art initiatives and collaborations with artists and musicians.
What Happens to Diesel Next?
Diesel has not yet announced who will take over from Martens.
The brand says its next chapter of creative leadership will be announced in due course.
For now, the SS27 collection stands as the final statement from one of the designers most closely associated with Diesel’s recent resurgence.
Martens leaves Diesel having fundamentally changed how the brand operates within contemporary fashion — making its denim louder, its runway shows more culturally charged and its identity more relevant to a new generation.
The next creative director will have the difficult task of building on that momentum without simply repeating it.
The End of the Glenn Martens Era
Glenn Martens’ exit closes a significant chapter for Diesel.
From experimental denim and provocative silhouettes to collaborations that connected fashion with music, art and youth culture, his tenure helped turn Diesel into one of the most recognisable names in contemporary fashion again.
Now, with the Spring/Summer 2027 collection behind him, Diesel enters its next era.
And the fashion world will be watching closely to see who takes the wheel.
