Glenn Martens took the word ‘chic’ and completely dissected it in his spring-summer 2019 line-up for Y/Project. The term can be understood (or rather misunderstood) in many ways. One of the most common is the ‘Parisian chic’ that became a catchy phrase for high street brands to sell stuff, and a magical spell for influencers (that very likely end up with writing a book on style). But Martens abandoned that sort of path and proposed a totally different sort of chic. It’s lady-like and eccentric, but smoothly relates to his love for silhouette distortion and streetwear. So, we had everything: from denim panties and the over-sized, tie-dyed denim ensemble to a very couture-ish tailored pinstripe dress and emerald-green gown styled with a glamorous feather-like boa. Martens’ chic isn’t neither casual-to-the-bone or conservative. It plays with those two stereotypical notions, shaping something a bit hilarious and totally relevant. Both, a young and elderly person will look equally good in those attention-catching garments. Glenn agrees: chic isn’t one thing. And I think that’s really, really… chic.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.