Dare to be Diesel: sophisticated yet simultaneously disruptive, slashed, destroyed, and incredibly low-cut. The show took place at a venue displaying the largest graffiti installation ever known, covering over three kilometers of material, created by a global collective of approximately 7,000 graffiti artists, both amateurs and experts. “I love that thousands of people from around the world worked together to create the decor. We gave the global street art collective complete creative freedom—everyone expressed themselves in their own way, in a project that took months to complete.

This is the true democracy of Diesel,” says Glenn Martens, Diesel’s creative director. The Diesel language—denim, utility, pop, artisanal—is amplified and combined, rising above archetypes and overturning traditions. The tailoring of the garments is collarless, like a bouclé jacket worn with a denim peplum, as if it were the upper part of a pair of jeans over jacquard shorts that mimic worn denim.

The men’s suits are cut raw from laminated neoprene, without any accessories, while a bouclé corset is worn over skinny jeans. Houndstooth jacquards are woven so they appear layered and deteriorated. It’s a destructive effect in the fabric, reflected in the tailoring of pieces like a bandeau top worn with a corset over trousers. Meanwhile, bouclé coats are treated so the material appears frayed, while, in the case of shirts, the bouclé is printed on Lycra.

Subversion becomes part of the everyday, with ultra-padded hooded jackets that wrap like a shawl, worn with wool skirts or extremely low-rise jeans. Leather is boiled to give jackets and shirts extreme three-dimensionality, while fluffy zip-collared sweaters with contrasting interiors are paired with the fluffy knit band that supports incredibly low-rise trousers. Experimentation is omnipresent, with jackets made of plastified denim, bustiers, and jeans: it seems as if the pieces were completely laminated, leaving only the pockets cut out. Tulle has been woven with a jacquard that seems to be almost destroyed denim, transformed into dresses or used as a layer covering a silver jacket and coat. The Double D bag appears with a sophisticated air in bouclé, while two unisex bags make their debut: the Flag-D bag, with a casual design, has a wide logo strap made from faux pony, while the Load-D has an oval shape and is supported at the ends by two Diesel Ds. Men’s boots have an ultra-massive sole, while slippers are created from houndstooth material with a worn effect. Kitten heel bouclé booties have the Diesel D initial applied to the tip, and bouclé or worn denim high-heeled shoes feature a platform design, printed to match the texture of the material perfectly.

Street Art Capsule: An exclusive collection will be available, featuring works by six international graffiti artists who contributed to the show’s decor. To create this collection, Diesel pieces were sent to the artists, giving them the freedom to personalize them with graffiti in their unique style. The results were then scanned and printed, bringing the creative energy of the decor to selected Diesel stores around the world and on diesel.com. The graffiti artists who collaborated on the collection are: Roy XR Chen (China) Ryota Daimon (Japan) Farai Engelbrecht (South Africa) Phree Hester (USA) Brianna Toomer (France) Red Longo (Italy) Show facts:

• 3.2 kilometers of material were covered with graffiti specially for Diesel, creating the largest graffiti installation ever known in the world.
• Thousands of graffiti artists from eight countries worked together to create the setup, including both professional and amateur artists from China, UAE, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the USA.
• Each country organized unique activations to paint thousands of rolls of material. In India, local artists drew the material in Diesel stores, inviting customers to participate. In China and Japan, students were invited to take part, while in South Africa, the activity took place during a full-day event.
• Artists were given complete freedom to express themselves through their works.
• The resulting material covered a total of 3,200 square meters of the arena, which was then filled with Diesel’s record-breaking inflatable sculpture, first presented at the SS23 show. The sculpture, which holds the Guinness World Record for the largest inflatable installation, was now completely covered with graffiti.

CREDITS: Creative Director: Glenn Martens Styling: Ursina Gysi Original Soundtrack Composer: Senjan Jansen Hair: Gary Gill Make-up: Inge Grognard for @MACcosmetics Concept Designer: Studio Dennis Vanderbroeck Casting: Establishment NY