It's off to the races at Milan Fashion Week, where Glenn Martens kicked things off with Diesel's highest-energy runway show to date.
For Spring/Summer 2023, the brand went Goblin Mode with a collection that Julia Fox, a noted fan on the brand, said she was "maybe on the moodboard for." Indeed, there were plenty of Fox-esque touches: low-rise bottoms, jean-boots, and more spins on Martens' teeny-tiny belt skirts.
There was lots of denim, of course, but less expected were experimentations in knits, lace, and silk — softer touches that added welcome contrast to Diesel's typically hard-edged appeal. Martens also played with texture, using the frayed edges of denim to construct giant, fluffy outwear and a cheeky mini-skirt and tube-top set.
There was more to the show than clothing: Martens built an entire world, expressed in everything from the invitation — a sizeable butt plug — to the set. The catwalk played host to a giant inflatable sculpture, albeit ten times larger than the blow-up figures featured at last season's show — in fact, Martens' latest is a Guinness World Record-breaking work, the largest inflatable artwork ever made.
In the front row, Evan Mock mingled with Fox, Anna Dello Russo, and Lolo Zouaï while newfound fashion stars Amelia Gray Hamlin and Ella Snyder stalked the runway. Filling the rest of the venue's seats were members of the public — over 3,000 — who managed to snag tickets during Diesel's free-for-all registration period.
"I wanted to open Diesel up to the public, for people who may never have been to a fashion show before," Martens said. They deserve a spectacle... It’s what I believe about the fashion and the state of mind — everybody can be part of Diesel."
Major, Martens. Major!
