Weekly Fashion Highlights | Glenn Martens Makes His debut At Maison Margiela...

Glenn Martens debuted his first Maison Margiela Artisanal haute couture show at Centquatre-Paris in Paris. Centered around a "back to basics" deconstructionist aesthetic, the collection intertwined the brand’s iconic anonymous masks and wraps to pay tribute to founder Martin Margiela, while infusing it with a distinctive Belgian street style. In the same week, American designer Michael Ryder presented his first Celine SS26 collection in Paris, blending the styles of the brand’s previous two creative directors—from Phoebe Philo’s minimalism to Hedi Slimane’s rock-inspired elements. Stay tuned for more updates from REVERSIBLE this week.

Glenn Martens Maison Margiela 2025: A New Chapter Of Succession And Breakthrough

Glenn Martens officially took over as creative director of Maison Margiela in January 2025. Prior to this, his bold innovation at Diesel attracted much attention and attracted the attention of Generation Z with his subversive design language. On July 9, Martens held the first Artisanal high-end custom show at Centquatre-Paris in Paris, combining masks and wraps with a "return to nature" deconstructionist aesthetic, paying tribute to the brand's founder, Martin Margiela, while injecting a distinctive Belgian street style.

This season's works boldly use transparent plastic windbreakers with oil painting brush marks denim, feather decorations, and irregular pleating techniques, which not only retain Margiela's exquisite high-end craftsmanship but also highlight Martens' experimental spirit of materials and structures. While retaining Maison Margiela's iconic anonymous masks, he also gave classic suits and robes a new life through exaggerated silhouettes and humorous details, making the audience sigh at the familiarity and surprise at the innovation.

The industry responded enthusiastically. Vogue Business commented that the show "brought long-lost vitality and modernity to the industry", believing that Martens not only paid tribute to the brand's heritage but also successfully injected contemporary emotions and concerns. Fashion critics wrote in Liveblog: "He redefined the possibility of 'deconstruction' with the dialogue between masks and wraps", and called this release "one of the most high-end shows this year".

It is worth mentioning that Martens did not give up his duties at Diesel and still served as its creative director, achieving a balance between business and pioneering spirit. Industry insiders generally believe that his arrival is not only an update to Maison Margiela but also an injection of a new round of creative energy into the entire field of haute couture, heralding a new era that is compatible with tradition and the future.

Michael Rider Ushers In A New Era At Celine With SS26 Debut

American designer Michael Rider unveiled his highly anticipated debut collection for Celine on Sunday in Paris, marking a significant moment for the brand following the departure of Hedi Slimane. Rider, who previously worked under Phoebe Philo during her celebrated tenure from 2008 to 2018, presented a Spring/Summer 2026 collection that reimagines bourgeois elegance with a subtle rock edge. "Returning to Celine in a world that is constantly changing has been a deeply emotional and joyous experience," said Rider in a statement. He described the brand as a symbol of "quality, timelessness, and style"—intangible ideals he aimed to capture in his designs.

The collection introduced a gender-fluid wardrobe anchored in precision and polish: voluminous wool coats with open backs, slim-cut and carrot trousers for both men and women, diamond-patterned pullovers, sharp tailored blazers, and leather jackets. Sophisticated evening gowns and cropped fur jackets added glamour to the lineup. Accessories paid homage to Oxford-style academia with striped ties, while wide-leg pants tucked into supple leather boots offered a utilitarian twist. The look was completed with bold belts, statement bags, silk scarves, and a dazzling array of jewelry. A neutral palette of khaki, sand, white, and black was punctuated by accents of green, crimson, and deep navy.

After years of presentation-only formats under Slimane’s reign, Rider returned Celine to the runway with a show held at the brand’s Paris headquarters. Despite heavy rain and the looming start of Haute Couture Week, part of the show unfolded outdoors, signaling a new openness and energy. Rider, who previously held senior roles at Balenciaga and Polo Ralph Lauren, stepped into the position immediately following Slimane’s departure in October 2024. With a career rooted in both luxury and heritage, Rider is poised to balance Celine’s classic identity with contemporary relevance, marking the beginning of a bold new chapter.

Junya Watanabe MAN And New Balance Introduce Futuristic TF100 Sneaker

In a continuation of their minimalist yet boundary-pushing partnership, Junya Watanabe MAN and New Balance have introduced the Tech Form 100 (TF100)—a sophisticated hybrid sneaker designed to blur the lines between dress formality and athletic functionality. Revealed during the Spring/Summer 2026 runway show at Paris Fashion Week, the TF100 builds upon their shared heritage of subtle innovation and sleek performance. Drawing upon classic walking silhouettes and contemporary technology, the sneaker positions itself as a fashion-forward response to modern lifestyle demands.

The TF100’s design is a visual dialogue between polished elegance and performance cues. The upper resembles a refined dress shoe, featuring smooth contours and minimal paneling. Its dual-layer midsole stands out with a dramatic sculpted arch cutout, adding not only visual interest but also functional support. The outsole borrows from motorsport aesthetics, while subtle reflective detailing around the eyelets nods to New Balance’s running roots. Completing the look is a TPU heel badge that enhances structural integrity and lends a futuristic finish. These design choices ensure the sneaker feels equally at home in both streetwear and tailored contexts.

Though a new silhouette, the TF100 stays true to New Balance’s Boston-born values: simplicity, function, and form. It reflects the evolving language of the brand’s minimalist design and highlights how Junya Watanabe continues to experiment with codes of classic menswear. With its seamless blend of aesthetics and utility, the TF100 marks another milestone in one of the most quietly radical collaborations in fashion today.

Demma's "Last Dance" At Balenciaga

Demna Gvasalia staged his eye-catching "last dance" for Balenciaga in Paris on July 9, 2025. The first show was held in Cristóbal Balenciaga's apartment before his death, opening the decade's gorgeous farewell with a sense of ritual of returning to the brand's birthplace. The show created a strong "reunion" atmosphere through the contrast of vintage furniture and modern metal installations, symbolizing his deconstruction and reconstruction of the brand's heritage.

This season's works continue Demna's iconic avant-garde spirit: boneless waist skirts and exaggerated silhouette down jackets appeared on the same stage, subverting the traditional high-end boundaries; at the same time, a large number of luxurious fabrics and hand-embroidery were used to highlight Balenciaga's craftsmanship. Kim Kardashian's unexpected catwalk was particularly eye-catching. She wore a nude tube dress with a historical feather coat and Elizabeth Taylor's diamond earrings, adding a strong dramatic tension to Demna's farewell show.

Although this season subtly echoes Cristóbal Balenciaga's architectural aesthetics, Demna also walks the line between street culture and luxury couture. He incorporates reflections after the 2022 advertising scandal into his design, and today's genderless tailoring and deconstructed details are more thoughtful, both a response to past criticism and an exploration of future aesthetics.

Born in Georgia in 1981, Demna was invited to take over as creative director of Balenciaga in 2015. In the past ten years, he has pushed the brand to the top and created a series of commercial and cultural phenomenal items and topics. During his tenure, Balenciaga's revenue and social influence have both achieved explosive growth, becoming one of Kering's fastest-growing brands.

With Demna about to move to Gucci as creative director, the next person at the helm of Balenciaga will be Pierpaolo Piccioli of Valentino. This personnel handover heralds a new chapter in the brand's style. Although there is no shortage of controversy in "The Last Dance", it is undeniable that Demna's decade-long journey at Balenciaga has profoundly rewritten the possibilities of contemporary haute couture and opened up broad horizons for future exploration of luxury fashion.

Giorgio Armani x KITH Launches The Latest Collaboration Collection

In July 2025, Italian luxury brand Giorgio Armani and New York street pioneer Kith once again joined hands to launch the second season of the joint collection, with the Italian word "Estate" as the theme, aiming to combine Italian elegance with American street style and interpret contemporary holiday style. This season's collection draws on the holiday atmosphere of four major coastal resorts: Malibu, California, the Hamptons, the United States, Forte dei Marmi, Italy, and Porto Cervo, Sardinia, and cleverly interweaves the two images of "summer" and "estate", presenting a lazy but exquisite coastal romance.

In terms of clothing, men's clothing continues Armani's iconic soft silhouette, incorporating lightweight cotton and linen fabrics and slightly elastic fibers into classic double-breasted suits to add a casual sense of vacation; bomber jackets and loose shirts are blended with lightweight nylon and silk cotton, taking into account ventilation and three-dimensional silhouettes. It is worth mentioning that this collection has added women's clothing items for the first time, including satin tube dresses, elastic waist wide-leg pants, and tulle shirts decorated with ribbons, echoing the holiday style of men's clothing while maintaining Armani's high-end custom craftsmanship.

In terms of accessories, this season launched a number of holiday must-have items: square-frame sunglasses with gradient lenses and lightweight metal frames; silk square scarves printed with hand-painted patterns of four places, which can be tied around the neck or bag handles; leather belts and travel bags continue the ultimate pursuit of details by both parties, using imported Italian leather and equipped with engraved metal buckles, which are practical and luxurious.

In terms of fabric selection, high-quality Merino wool, silk and cotton and linen blended fabrics are widely used, which not only ensures the lightness and drape of the clothing, but also meets the needs of summer wear; in terms of color, lemon yellow, ocean blue and beige are the main colors, with camel and light brown, perfectly presenting the image of sunlight and beaches on the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts.

The launch event will be held offline at the Kith flagship store in Malibu, Hamptons House, Forte dei Marmi, and Porto Cervo, and will be launched in stages from July 4 to 6, and will be launched simultaneously at Giorgio Armani boutiques, Kith stores and both websites around the world on July 10. Through this in-depth collaboration, Armani and Kith have not only continued their respective brand DNA but also injected an unprecedented combination of sophistication and casualness into modern holiday looks, showing a new dialogue between luxury and street style.