Y/Project

Photo: Instagram.com/weinsanto
Victor Weinsanto, the creative force behind his eponymous brand, brought his sartorial excellence to Day 3 of Dubai Fashion Week of FW23.  The young designer, who launched his brand in 2020 was originally a dancer and is known for his playful spirit – his shows are often full of theatrics and drama that can only come from a deep seeded love for performance art.
Before going out on his own, Weinsanto had worked at renowned brands such as Y/project and Chloé but his greatest experience came from working for two years with Jean Paul Gaultier, another designer known for his ability in transcending boundaries while having fun with fashion. Weinsanto often finds inspiration in live entertainment and art, choosing his muses and friends from creative backgrounds as models and even collaborating with some.
This designer who launched his debut collection in Paris under the watchful eye of fashion royalty such as Simon Porte Jacquemus and Adrian Joffe is now ready to present his colorful creations to everyone in Dubai.

Read on to know all about Weinsanto’s Dubai Fashion Week FW23 show.
Tell us a bit about your collection being showcased at Dubai Fashion Week.The collection I will be showcasing in Dubai is called ‘The Life we deserve… or not’. It is all about love and achievements. The base print is made by my best friend and artist Romain Eugene Campens and is a really good representation of what I love. It’s colorful but also really abstract. The shapes are both huge and fitted and you will also find a lot of corsetry that I love.

What kind of woman are your designs made for?My designs are made for strong personalities but I genuinely would love to see a lot of different women wearing my designs. I love when my best friend and my mum love the same piece. That means to me that the brand can represent a lot of people. My clients are coming from a lot of different places in the world and are often completely different, I love that!

How does it feel to be a part of the inaugural Dubai Fashion Week?
It’s a huge honor to be part of the inaugural Dubai Fashion Week! I am extremely grateful to the council for trusting me and allowing me to showcase my work in Dubai. I love the culture here but what I love even more is that Dubai is now a major city for fashion and creativity.

The cast of your show also features Tunisian model Ameni Esseibi. What makes her an ideal fit for Weinsanto?Ameni inspires me so much and is such an inspiration for so many women in the world. I love her because she is fierce but also because she is a really kind person. She deserves the world and I am grateful to see her in my design. We definitely need way more diversity on the runways.

Name one regional and international celebrity you would love to see in your designs.It’s hard to choose one so I would say two. I would love to see Rihanna and Beyoncé wearing one of my designs.What’s next for your brand?We will soon discover what is next but hopefully something great. I would love to do more collaborations and grow our retailers. I love not knowing what is gonna be next. It is scary and exciting at the same time. Fingers crossed.Read Next: Everything to Know About the Upcoming Dubai Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2023/24

Needless to say, the fall 2021 runway season has been a weird one.
Not only because the shows have been digital and we’ve sat in our homes watching them online, but also because designers presented a comprehensive juxtaposition of wearable clothes and high concept ideas. The biggest trends sprung from the idea of creating the perfect suit for right now. The results were baggie and comfortable designs reminiscent of the nineties slouchy style.
The idea of making outerwear a fall trend sounds ridiculously obvious, but this season’s statement-making coats were at the forefront more than ever.
The same applies to the array of knits shown this season, from turtlenecks and large textured cardigans to extra, extra long crewnecks. The long johns at Prada signaled that the concept of underwear as something intimate-only is out the window.

Dior brought back pomp and circumstance with his the military uniform universe, while Virgil Abloh at Louis Vuitton played with all American references, resulting in some great varsity jackets.
All that said, an underlying sense of optimism was the key message, and the use of bright colors was a clear signal that fashion is feeling hopeful — and so are we. Here are the top trends of the fall season.
COMFORT SUITS
After nearly a year of turning the living room into a boardroom, designers are channeling the work from home routine into the perfect blend of coziness and function. The result is a suit that works as well in a Zoom world as it does in real life.

Related Gallery

Ermenegildo Zegna Men’s Fall 2021  Courtesy of Ermenegildo Zegna

Kolor Men’s Fall 2021  Courtesy of Kolor

Y/Project Men’s Fall 2021  Courtesy of Y/Project

COLOSSAL COATS
This season’s stars range from textured graphic numbers and dressing gown styles to inside out designs and over the top, evening-inspired, unisex top coats, all of which guarantee to grab attention.
Louis Vuitton Men’s Fall 2021  Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

Casablanca Men’s Fall 2021  Courtesy of Casablanca

GmbH Men’s Fall 2021  Courtesy of GmbH

KNIT HITS
Jonathan Anderson’s conceptual “knit over knit” design at Loewe is a clear example of the cozy to the max mood that’s injecting new life into this men’s wear staple.
Loewe Men’s Fall 2021  Courtesy of Loewe

Etudes Men’s Fall 2021  Courtesy of Etudes

Dries Van Noten Men’s Fall 2021  Courtesy of Dries Van Noten

NO LONGER UNDERWEAR
A clear result of the times we are living in is the idea of wearing underwear as a statement fashion piece, like the long johns at Prada or the classic tighty whities on the opening look at Rick Owens. The trend speaks to the intimate-at-home vibe that permeated the season.
Prada Men’s Fall 2021  Courtesy of Prada

ERL Men’s Fall 2021  Courtesy of ERL

Rick Owens Men’s Fall 2021  Courtesy of Rick Owens

COLOR CODE
The use of bright blues and greens — as well as a good amount of red — packed a punch of positive vibes, telegraphing an optimistic message for the future.
JW Anderson Men’s Fall 2021  Courtesy of JW Anderson

Phipps Men’s Fall 2021  Courtesy of Phipps

Casablanca Men’s Fall 2021  Courtesy of Casablanca

AMERICAN IDOLS
Whether it’s a classic collegiate varsity jacket at Louis Vuitton or the preppy-inspired reworkings of a knit vest at Y/Project, these heritage pieces redefined the All-American classics trend.
Louis Vuitton Men’s Fall 2021  Giovanni Giannoni/WWD

Y/Project Men’s Fall 2021  Courtesy of Y/Project

Reese Cooper Men’s Fall 2021  Courtesy of Reese Cooper

UNIFORM APPROACH
At Dior, the pillar of men’s wear — suits — received the royal treatment by using the dress code from the inductees into the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Meanwhile, a traditional admiral’s naval coat at Wales Bonner exuded a retro vintage vibe ideal for Gen Z and beyond.
Dior Men’s Fall 2021  Courtesy of Dior

Wales Bonner Men’s Fall 2021  Courtesy of Wales Bonner

JW Anderson Men’s Fall 2021  Courtesy of JW Anderson

Martens is the Belgian designer behind Y/Project and the creative director of Diesel.

PARIS — Glenn Martens, recently appointed as creative director of Diesel, has decided to lighten the show schedule for his Y/Project brand by merging men’s wear and women’s wear into a single unified collection.
The designer, who is based in Paris, will present the coed line during Paris Men’s Fashion Week in January and June, he said on Thursday. The first collection will be unveiled on Jan. 24 at 4 p.m. CET. 
Having produced collections largely remotely while under lockdown last year, Martens focused on giving existing designs a second life, homing in on the house’s trademark twisted constructions. In June 2020, he launched an eco-friendly line called Evergreen, a carryover collection of signature designs that never go on sale.

“To further protect our business, the fashion that we love, we have decided not to follow the extreme pace of four fashion weeks a year. Y/Project will stop showing four collections and merge the men’s and women’s into one bigger, more sustainable, and even more pushed collection,” Martens said in a statement.
“By freeing time, this lapse of six months will give my team more freedom to explore, more time to deliver the intriguing designs you have been expecting from us,” added the designer, who won support from ANDAM’s family fund last summer with a cash endowment of 150,000 euros. 
Y/Project joins brands including Givenchy, Jacquemus and Balmain in going coed, though the others will show as part of the February/March women’s calendar.
In his new position at Diesel, Martens has oversight over style, communications and interior design. He is sure to bring a blast of creative energy and renewed attention to the denim brand, which has not had a marquee talent at the helm since Nicola Formichetti exited in December 2017 after a four-year tenure as artistic director.
Martens will show his first Diesel collection for spring 2022, although the brand has yet to decide on when and how it will be presented to the press, given the ongoing uncertainties related to the coronavirus pandemic.
See also: 
Y/Project Men’s Spring 2021
Glenn Martens is the New Creative Director of Diesel
ANDAM Winners Marine Serre and Glenn Martens Look to Fashion’s Future