OTB reshuffles Diesel and Margiela: Martens steps down as creative director of Diesel

A strategic move within the OTB group

The Italian group OTB has confirmed a significant change in the creative structure of two of its most visible brands. Glenn Martens will step down as creative director of Diesel after five years at the helm, a period that began in 2020 and has been marked by a deep renewal of the denim brand. The show Diesel will present next week will be the last under his leadership. From that point on, Martens will concentrate all his efforts on Maison Margiela, a label that also belongs to the OTB umbrella.

The decision is not a response to poor commercial results, but rather a bet on strengthening Margiela's identity and positioning at a time when creative luxury is seeking to differentiate itself. OTB prefers Martens to devote his energy to a single house, instead of splitting it between two projects with very different aesthetic codes and audiences. Diesel, for its part, is entering a new phase that has yet to be defined: no successor has been announced, which opens a waiting period that the market will watch closely.

What it means for the wholesale business

For the wholesale channel, changes in the creative direction of a brand like Diesel have a direct impact on several layers of the business. The first is product: each new creative director brings a shift in silhouettes, materials and palettes that shapes the collections of the next two or three seasons. Distributors who work with the brand need to anticipate whether that shift will be continuity or rupture, because the composition of their orders and their stock risk depend on it.

The second layer is the calendar. Martens's departure right before a show introduces uncertainty about the timing of collection presentations and about which lines will be kept, strengthened or shelved. In fashion, and especially in footwear and associated accessories, a change of creative direction usually translates into assortment adjustments that reach the wholesaler with only a few months' notice.

• Possible redefinition of Diesel's price positioning and priority channels.
• Greater focus by OTB on Margiela as a luxury asset, with more resources and visibility.
• Risk of discontinuity in product lines that currently perform well in the multi-brand channel.
• Opportunity for competing brands to fill the stylistic gap Diesel may temporarily leave.

A reading from the Spanish market

In Spain, Diesel maintains a significant presence both in its own retail and in the multi-brand channel, especially in footwear and sneakers with an urban profile. Distributors and stores that work with the brand should read this move as a sign of transition, not as a withdrawal. OTB's experience with previous repositionings suggests that the brand will remain active, but with a renewed narrative that may take time to land in product.

For the footwear wholesaler, the recommendation is cautious: do not overreact to a creative direction announcement, but do review your exposure to the brand over the next two seasons. Diversifying suppliers and not depending excessively on a single label is a sound rule in any scenario, and even more so when there is a change of creative leadership with no confirmed successor.

Changes at the creative helm of a brand are rarely neutral for the wholesale channel: they anticipate assortment, price and calendar adjustments that are worth mapping out.

What to watch from now on

The sector should pay attention to three specific signals. The first is the name of Diesel's new creative head and their profile: whether they are a commercially minded or experimental designer will set the tone. The second is the evolution of Margiela under Martens's exclusive focus, which could raise its weight in the luxury segment and pull along specialised suppliers and distributors. The third is the performance of the footwear and accessories collections in the upcoming showrooms, where it will become clear whether the change translates into continuity or a real assortment break.

In a market like Spain's, where multi-brand footwear and urban fashion competes with large chains and the online channel, moves like this remind us of the importance of having a solid and flexible supplier base. The ability to react quickly to shifts in brand direction is today a competitive advantage as important as margin itself.

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