“I think this is the most storytelling that we’ve done in the last five years of Diesel,” Glenn Martens says boldly on Zoom, the day before Diesel’s FW26 show. I’m still in London, so I’ve studied pictures of the show set ahead of our call. The collection is based on a good walk of shame, which inspired the idea behind the set. “Think of all the parties Diesel has thrown in its 48-year history. We wanted to show that,” Martens says. “It’s an ocean of party regalia.”
Dive in, and you’ll find a visual history of the brand, with 50,000 artefacts from Diesel shows, parties, window displays, events, and offices, Martens explains. These include a giant dinosaur, an astronaut costume, a car, a motorbike, inflatable animals, lots of jewelry, clothes, and shoes, and a legion of toy Santas. “There are even things we have given each other for birthdays, objects from employees’ desks, and costumes worn at [Diesel founder and OTB chairman] Renzo Rosso’s birthday parties, because he always likes to have birthday parties,” Martens says, “It’s all kinds of things!”
The walk of shame-inspired collection is based on one of Diesel’s core values. “Diesel is about successful living. And part of successful living, of course, is about successful walks of shame,” Martens says with a smile. “As a brand, we have [always] engaged in parties and in celebration. This walk of shame, you own it, you’re gorgeous, you don’t really know where you woke up, how you woke up…But you leave, you’re happy and beautiful, and you don’t give a shit.”
The garments have been created with the memory of the party. Be it permanent twisting that you can’t uncrease, a layer of confetti on garments as if you’ve lain on the floor, or the print of a silhouette, like you laid on top of someone. “It’s a lot of engaging with the flaws and celebrating them,” adds Martens.
Building a world to reach the mass consumer
Since joining Diesel in 2020, Martens has become known for major runway spectacles, from a mountain of condom boxes (FW23) to a 7,000-person rave (SS24). This season’s temporary Diesel museum follows last season’s egg hunt, in which the brand planted Diesel looks in clear eggs across the city of Milan for the public to find. Those who were first to the eggs won various prizes, including 1DR bags. The first person to the final checkpoint won a custom Diesel look.
