Glenn Martens’ highly anticipated debut for Maison Margiela’s Artisanal couture line arrives next month. You might expect him to be stretched thin right now—yet there was no sign of distraction in this pre-spring Diesel collection. If anything, his creativity seems more elastic than ever.

“This collection builds on our last show,” he said as we browsed the racks. Where his previous presentation featured vibrant street art, this lookbook was backed by a crowd of about 100 “very cute” onlookers—some from Diesel’s headquarters, others street-cast in its hometown of Breganze.

The lineup felt tighter than usual, partly due to structural changes giving Diesel’s global retail network more independence. Neoprene dresses, jackets, and outerwear were layered with felted wool or treated denim, creating minimalist yet grunge-inflected classics. Martens pointed out one knit-hooded coat, inspired by a Y/Project design he loved enough to revive here. There were high-waisted leather puffers with cropped sleeves and what he called “fake tailoring”—jersey, denim, and neoprene cut to mimic suiting without the formality.

Other playful twists included trompe l’oeil draped dresses, leather jackets printed with perfecto motifs, and a slinky metallic slip dress with adjustable shoulder layers. A preppy moment came via a bold “D”-logo striped shirt layered over a printed henley with ripped bootcut jeans. Tarnished silver detailing on mesh knits looked DIY despite being factory-made—another clever contradiction.

Even streamlined, and even with Margiela now competing for his focus, this Diesel collection brimmed with ideas. If this is any indication, his Margiela debut will be explosive.