LET ME try and set the scene for you. It’s the opening show for Milan Fashion Week, the industry along with nearly 5000 others arrived at the Allianz Cloud Arena, the Guinness World Records are awarding the inflatable sculpture in the middle the record for largest ever, and the place is buzzing with the thumping of techno music. By now, the slogan for bigger is better is firmly attached to Glenn Martens’ revamp of Diesel and I can ensure you no one is mad about it.
Before the deep dive into the clothes, I think it is important for us to take a moment to appreciate what Martens has done here. It is no secret that the fashion industry is notoriously exclusive – in more ways than one – and that a seat at a show has become a signifier of importance, so for the Creative Director to put 3000 tickets on sale for the general public is a leap forward into inclusivity.
What’s more is that 1,600 fashion students in the city were offered tickets for free; a move far from charitable and more a sign of respect for those likely to walk in our shoes once we are done. But ultimately, fashion is meant to be worn, it is not only the insiders that wear clothes, I mean the beauty of it is that its something that effects every single person so to bring fashion to the everyone is a self-awareness that few designers tap into these days.
“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, so we’ve broken the record for the biggest inflatable sculpture in the world,” explains Martens. “It’s what I believe about the fashion and the state of mind – everybody can be a part of Diesel”.
Founded nearly forty years ago, the Italian brand is rooted in denim, it has become an integral part of their DNA despite evolving into a luxury player. And though this may be the case, the show notes push for an understanding that Diesel is truly for everyone: ‘Democratic fashion is everything with experimentation and subversion for every single day’.
Denim dovoré debuts, taking the material and weaving it onto a transparent base, creating corset waisted trousers that are low slung and making denim knits that are part-solarised to give the effect that they have been out in the sun for years. With denim finding itself being reinvented throughout the SS23 collection, notably looks find the fabric embroidered onto layers of torn tule, heavily distressed and reconstructed, and even acid washed, giving a nod to Gen Z’s revival of noughties fashion.
Beyond the shades of blue, utility trousers have supersized pockets added to them, cargo pants are made from stain, t-shirts are double layered to reveal prints through cut-out holes, and slip dresses are trimmed with lace, to create a fusion of clothes that both reveal and explore the body through the powerful lense of Martens’ take on democratic fashion.
Revolutionary in many ways, Glenn Martens’ spring-summer 2023 collection for Diesel won’t be forgotten easily. The clothes are a zeitgeist of today’s and next season’s taste, and though he weighs heavily on the aesthetic of the younger generation, he has been able to quickly cement his name on a list of designers who are creating clothes that people beyond the front rows want to wear and that’s what fashion really boils down to – clothes you want to wear.
by Imogen Clark