Y/Project
| Y/Project | |
|---|---|
| |
| Established | 2010 |
| Years Active | 2010-2025 |
| Parent Company | Independent |
| Website | https://www.yproject.fr/ |
Y/Project was a fashion brand founded in 2010 by Yohan Serfaty. Based in Paris, France, Y/Project was known for its conceptual and inventive details with playful proportions and a witty take on historical references. The Y in Y/Project refers to Yohan.[1]
Background
Serfaty treated the brand as an extension of his own personal wardrobe. His gothic, moody and leather-focused lines took off in Japan before he prematurely passed away just three years after the label’s inception.[1]
It was a frequent user of deadstock and recycled materials and created "evergreen" capsules. The brand has previously been dubbed the "Swiss army knife of fashion" by Vogue. The brand created clothing that felt timeless and timely at the same time, whilst it primarily focused on fearless creation.[1]
History
2010s
Serfaty founded the brand in 2010 together with his business partner Gilles Elalouf. After Serfaty's passing, Elalouf appointed Glenn Martens, who at the time, was a young designer assistant to Serfaty, as Serfaty's successor. Martens was skeptical whether he could fill the void that Serfaty had left before he eventually accepted the offer to become the brand's creative director.[1]
Glenn Martens Era
The initial collections followed in the footsteps of the late Serfaty with his dark avant-garde style, before Martens eventually pivoted towards trying to create something different. Playing with the dichotomy of good and bad taste and an obsession with opulence, absurdity and historical dress, Martens started to treat the label like a thought experiment.[1] Glenn Martens' AW14 collection was a huge success with his take on menswear, where tailored suits were crafted in asymmetric shapes, and T-shirts were layered with exaggerated proportions. Martens also introduced, what was to become the signature Y/Project play on gender fluidity and conceptual design. He unveiled the brand's first womenswear garments such as long slit skirts whilst incorporating deconstructed denim, leather, and patchwork.[2]
Y/Project debuted its first womenswear collection AW16 season.[3]
Under Marten's leadership, Y/Project managed to win the ANDAM Grand Prize in 2017, which is an award that was established in 1989.[4][5]
The brand, no stranger to collaborations, worked with UGG in 2019.[6]
2020s
Y/Project launched a collaboration with Jean Paul Gautier in 2022. The pieces felt both Y/Project and JPG all at once. Statement dresses, prints and colour filled the collection.[6]
The brand also collaborated with Salomon for footwear.[6]
Martens stepped down from his position as creative director of the brand in September 2024.[2]
The brand did not show in February 2025 and eventually shut down amid a global luxury-slow down, and without being able to find a new buyer for the brand.
Style
The brands signature silhouettes features extreme layering, innovative ruching and draping, and a general disregard for utility have defined silhouettes of the 2020s. Which has sometimes created garments where the audience needs to double-take in order to process what they have just seen. A lot of the brand's garments have at times been considered funny and different, creating a bizarre aesthetic.[1]
Themes
Y/Project took a lot of liberty in its design process, with Martens admitting that him and his team has had momentary pauses of doubts before sending collections down the runway.[1] The brand focused heavily on creating avant-garde aesthetics through gender fluid garments and deconstructed pieces, creating pieces and looks that were ahead of its time.[2]
Motifs
A common motif within the brand was the Y from the logo being used in metal buckles for leather belts or belts for coats. Aforementioned Y was also printed as a logo on t-shirts.
Notable Products
A notable product was the brands take on jeans underwear, labelled 'janties' by the brand. The garment ended up on Ellen DeGeneres show as one of the most ridiculous items ever designed. Which later became a prominent feature in a lot of other brand's collections, highlighting the ingenuity of Glenn Martens and his "ahead of time" visionary thinking.[6]
The Cinderella slippers, made in a collaboration with Brazilian shoemakers Melissa, was one of the brand's bestselling products. The shoes were crafted with 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.[2]
Collections
Whilst Martens debut show, AW14, changed the trajectory of the brand forever, steering it into a completely different aesthetic.[6] Y/Project debuted their first dedicated womenswear collection for the AW16.[3] The brand had several shows that have gained public interested with fans of the brand often looking for garments on secondhand sites, featuring SS17, AW18 and AW21.
However, the Spring/Summer 2020 show is often regarded as the most successful show in the brand's history. With the collection experimenting with colours, textures and silhouettes in a way they hadn’t before—as evidenced by their split leg denim becoming one of the most popular fashion moments of the season.[6]
| Title | Season | Date | Location | Looks | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AW14 | Glenn Martens' debut collection. | ||||
| SS15 | |||||
| AW15 | |||||
| SS16 | |||||
| AW16 | 31 | ||||
| SS17 | 32 | ||||
| AW17 | 31 | ||||
| SS18 | 36 | ||||
| AW18 | 33 | ||||
| SS19 | 39 | ||||
| AW19 | 52 | ||||
| SS20 | 57 | ||||
| AW20 | 44 | ||||
| SS21 | 40 | ||||
| AW21 | 64 | Beginning of joint menswear&womenswear collections. | |||
| SS22 | 75 | ||||
| AW22 | 62 | ||||
| SS23 | 69 | ||||
| AW23 | 55 | ||||
| SS24 | 52 | ||||
| AW24 | 53 | The last collection in the brand's history. |
| Title | Season | Date | Location | Looks | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AW16 | 31 | Debut womenswear collection. | |||
| SS17 | 39 | ||||
| AW17 | 39 | ||||
| SS18 | 40 | ||||
| AW18 | 41 | ||||
| SS19 | 48 | ||||
| AW19 | 48 | ||||
| SS20 | 52 | ||||
| AW20 | 49 | ||||
| SS21 | 36 | ||||
| AW21 | 64 | Beginning of joint menswear&womenswear collections. | |||
| SS22 | 75 | ||||
| AW22 | 62 | ||||
| SS23 | 69 | ||||
| AW23 | 55 | ||||
| SS24 | 52 | ||||
| AW24 | 53 | The last collection in the brand's history. |
Creative Directors
| Name | Tenure |
|---|---|
| Yohan Serfaty | 2010–2013 |
| Glenn Martens | 2013–2024 |
| Add creative directors and their tenure here. |
CEOs
| Name | Tenure |
|---|---|
| Gilles Elalouf | 2010–2024 |
| Add CEOs and their tenure here. |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 https://www.goat.com/editorial/y-project-about
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 https://10magazine.com/a-look-back-at-y-projects-most-memorable-moments/
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/10-years-y-project/
- ↑ https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/y-project-memorable-iconic-runway-moments-glenn-martens
- ↑ https://www.vogue.com/article/andam-prize-2017-y-project-wins
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 https://www.theterritorie.com/article/glenn-martens-yproject