“I wanted to open Diesel up to the public, for people who may never have been to a fashion show before. They deserve a spectacle”, Glenn Martens said in his show notes. A bold gamble, but one that paid off as nearly 5,000 people attended Diesel’s new Spring/Summer 2023 collection at the Allianz Cloud Arena in Milan – about 3,000 people “bought” their free tickets online, another 1,600 seats were reserved for students while celebrities, influencers and people from the press and media were among the remaining 200 seats. A record for a fashion show, but not the only one as the gigantic inflatable characters introduced in February, but this time rendered on the biggest scale ever, were back and have been approved by Guinness World Record as the largest inflatable sculptures in the world.
Glenn Martens’ collection, – he is commissioned by Renzo Rosso to revitalize and democratize Diesel. “I have to talk to all people, so I have to insist on it”, Martens said – included several themes: denim in all forms, utilitarian inflections, extravagance and the MTV pop aesthetic.
Diesel’s denim expertise – the brand’s signature material – was on full display in the collection. There were multiple washes and treatments, demonstrating the fabric’s ability to change shape and adopt textures and colors. Elsewhere, utilitarian garments were also plentiful, blending with military inspirations, camouflage and animal patterns, while the palette played with acidic and flamboyant hues, helped by a deafening techno soundtrack.
©Diesel
