In a shockwave of early morning fashion news, the world learned that Y/Project, the Parisian brand known for its subversive take on streetwear and experimental silhouettes, is shutting down. Founded in 2010 by Yohan Serfaty and Gilles Elalouf, Y/Project has consistently pushed the boundaries of design, blending innovation with a daring, often disruptive approach to fashion. Belgian designer Glenn Martens came to the helm as creative director in 2013, ushering in a new era of reworked classicism and avant-garde experimentation. Marking the end of an 11-year era, Martens stepped down as creative director in September 2024, mere months after the passing of Elalouf, Y/Project co-founder and driving force, which placed the brand into receivership by a Parisian commercial court. Now, after failing to find a buyer for the business, the brand has said in a statement, “After 14 fruitful years, Y/Project has made the challenging decision to stop operations.”

Here, we look back at Y/Project’s best moments.

Glenn Martens’ Debut Show: Menswear AW14

Making a triumphant debut as creative director of Y/Project, Glenn Martens’ AW14 collection was a bold reimagining of classic menswear, where tailored suits were twisted into sleek, asymmetric shapes and T-shirts were layered with exaggerated proportions. Martens introduced the now-signature Y/Project play on gender fluidity and conceptual design, unveiling the brand’s first womenswear items like long slit skirts whilst incorporating deconstructed denim, leather, patchwork and unexpected cuts. The result was a distinctly avant-garde yet wearable collection. Cementing his place at the helm of the label, he showcased his knack for pushing boundaries by combining streetwear with high fashion in a way that was intellectually stimulating and commercially viable, solidifying his role as the architect of Y/Project’s subversive future.

Denim Dynamo

Before Martens was serving up deliciously warped denim at Diesel, he was doing it at Y/Project. That meant jeans were scrunched up, spliced, diced and sewn back together, twisted and even cut into structured, waved shapes. This was a major part of what gave the brand credence as a purveyor of innovative denim, but it was also a testament to Martens’ ability to push the boundaries of traditional craftsmanship.

The Melissa Court Shoe

In a list of Y/Project’s most memorable moments, it’d be remiss not to mention the brand’s best-selling Cinderella slippers. Created in collaboration with Brazilian shoemakers, Melissa, the Court Shoes are crafted from Melissa’s signature Melflex PVC and feature historically-inspired, royal patterns created using unusual cuts, shapes, and reconstructions. Coming alongside a pointed boot and curvy clog style, the Melissa partnership redefined contemporary footwear with a regal, avant-garde twist.

Y/Project x Jean Paul Gaultier

A multi-occasion collab between two of the best high fashion brands in the biz, Jean Paul Gaultier tapped Y/Project to create not just reimagined versions of Gaultier’s iconic creations but bold, experimental reinterpretations of both brands’ signatures. Releasing editions in 2022 and 2023, the team-up has included Y/Project’s oversized, asymmetrical take on Gaultier’s classic Breton stripes, trompe-l’oeil naked torso prints, reworked Gaultier corsets, oversized outerwear, sculptural accessories and avant-garde suiting, all effortlessly cross-pollinated with the codes of both brands. The collaborations saw Y/Project add its signature deconstructed tailoring and modern twists to Gaultier’s timeless, rebellious style.

Y/Project x Ugg

Of all the memorable releases in the Y/Project playbook, the collaborative Uggs are real close to taking the cake. Coming in scrunchy, thigh-high styles, some with multiple shearling tiers, others with dramatic, sculptural folds, the unconventional boots made their debut on the French brand’s AW18 menswear runway, propelling the Ugg revival into overdrive.

Rihanna At Las Vegas’s 2023 CinemaCon

At the 2023 CinemaCon in Las Vegas, a pregnant Rihanna stepped out sporting a double denim Y/Project set made up of a floor-length dress with a dangerously high slit and a pair of thigh-high boots, bringing that Canadian tux to life like never before.

Ready-To-Wear AW22

Showing just a week before Martens’ haute couture collaboration with Jean Paul Gaultier, the AW22 Y/Project collection, created in collaboration with JPG, playfully deconstructed the iconic house’s classic design codes. That meant highly sought-after trompe-l’oeil naked torso prints pulled from Gaultier’s ’90s archive came rethought and reworked, with chiselled abs, boobs and penises now printed across suiting, denim, and dresses in infrared colourways. In a nod to Gaultier’s subversive approach to fashion, Y/Project blended these iconic visuals with their own signature techniques – wandering zips, asymmetrical hems and ingenious construction – doing away with any reliance on logos and instead crafting a dialogue between the two brands’ distinct yet complementary aesthetics.

Ready-To-Wear AW24

To celebrate a decade of Glenn Martens at the helm of Y/Project, the AW24 took shape as a friends and family affair. Presented via a look book filled from cover to cover with familiar faces sporting colossal coats, subversive denim, Shibari-print dresses and lovely chiffon drapes, the cast included pop princess Charli XCX, rapper Tyga, Swiss stylist Ursina Gysi, Interview Magazine editor-in-chief Mel Ottenberg, Supermodel Irina Shayk and Martens’ own father amongst others. All shot by French photographer and frequent collaborator Arnaud Lajeunie, it was a terrific collection chock-a-block with want-to-wear clothes and great people.

Team Work Makes The Dream Work

Y/Project’s penchant for collaboration doesn’t stop at JPG. Linking up with Salomon last year to release a collection of scrunched up, high-performance Speedcross 3 trainers, the brand has proven itself to have that certain know-how when it comes to fusing its own design language with that of another brand. For example, in 2021 Y/Project tapped Fila for a collaboration that reinterpreted classic sportswear styles, including oversized sneakers and tracksuits with twisted, avant-garde proportions. Then, in 2022, Y/Project partnered with Canada Goose to create a collection of hybrid outerwear pieces, blending luxury parkas with warped, avant-garde silhouettes.

Chappell Roan at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards

Last year’s MTV Video Music Awards were fertile territory for boundary-pushing fashion, but few turned heads more than ‘your favourite artist’s favourite artist’, Chappell Roan, who stepped out onto the red carpet donning a wispy, tulle gown by Y/Project for AW24. Channeling her inner Medieval knight, the American songstress, with the help of stylist Genesis Webb, accessorised the look with a crucifix pendant, vambraces, metal talons and a sword.

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