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Glenn Martens will leave Diesel after presenting the OTB-owned denim brand’s spring/summer 2027 collection at Milan Fashion Week on 22 September. He will remain at the group as Creative Director of Maison Margiela.
The departure will end his six-year tenure, during which he reshaped Diesel’s product, communications and presentations. The brand has not yet named a successor.
Renzo Rosso, Diesel founder and OTB Group Chairman, said: “Glenn Martens’ contribution to Diesel has been extraordinary.” Rosso credited the designer with changing perceptions of the brand, strengthening its connection with younger consumers and returning it to the global fashion conversation.
Martens joined Diesel as Creative Director in October 2020, following an earlier collaboration through the Diesel Red Tag experimental capsule series in 2018. His remit covered the brand’s global aesthetic, communications, interiors and broader creative direction.
His first full runway show for autumn/winter 2022 won critical acclaim. Later shows combined experimental denim with large-scale public events, including a spring/summer 2023 presentation attended by nearly 5,000 people and a free outdoor rave for 7,000 guests.
Diesel said his tenure created a new visual and product language built around experimentation and new interpretations of denim, while retaining the brand’s accessible and irreverent positioning.
The creative overhaul was accompanied by improved financial performance. OTB’s 2025 full-year results showed that Diesel achieved its best profitability in a decade, following several years of investment in repositioning the brand. The company also expanded its directly operated network, with flagship openings in Berlin and Seoul.
Martens was later appointed Creative Director of fellow OTB-owned Maison Margiela in January 2025, succeeding John Galliano after his decade at the French luxury house. At Paris Haute Couture Week in July 2025, he unveiled his inaugural Artisanal collection for Margiela.
Maison Margiela was among OTB’s stronger performers that year, with sales up 8.4%. The wider group reported turnover of €1.7 billion and EBITDA of €237.3 million.
Martens’ final Diesel show will take place three days after the announcement of his departure. Diesel appointed Andrea Rigogliosi as Chief Executive Officer in January 2026.