It’s a guarantee that Milan will always be abuzz during fashion week. As arguably the design capital of the world, twice a year, the Italian metropolis sees every walk of sartorial life crowd its picturesque piazzas and vibrant viales, all dressed as if they were fresh off the runway themselves.
This latest season, though, the scene on the ground in Milano felt even more hectic as everyone, from off-duty models to burgeoning content creators and even a few nimble nonnas, dashed around the cobblestone-laden streets in a competitive frenzy. Who was the culprit behind all this zealous energy, you ask? None other than Diesel, the heritage Italian design house, known for breaking conventions and pushing far beyond fashion’s perceived boundaries.
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For its Spring Summer 2026 collection, the renowned denim brand skipped the runway and instead invited any and everyone willing to participate in an interactive showcase that brought the experimental pieces to them—well, sort of. Following the structure of a scavenger hunt, both longtime diehards and casual inquirers scattered across the Milanese expanse to track down each look—a whopping 55 in total—housed inside giant transparent eggs (we’re still trying to wrap our heads around it all, too). The architectural encasings themselves were inspired by Belgian designer Jurgi Persoons, whom Diesel’s creative director Glenn Martens referenced for this installation.
This inclusive presentation sought to bring Diesel “to the people” in a way we had never seen before. “Fashion is a game and we are playing it,” Martens says of the egg-themed experience. “Follow the rules, then break them.”
Inside the ovum-shaped pods, the brand’s newest wares enveloped the models, transforming them into embryonic muses. Skirts with roughed edges and apron dresses in a jacquard of laser-distressed satin denim outfitted some models, while tailored jackets, knit jumpsuits, and multi-pocket utility jackets dressed others. A series of bags—the new Load-D, Denim D-Pods, and Flag-D—were also on display, as select faces sported two new Diesel eyewear styles: the Round-D and Geck-D. Finished with necklaces and jewelry constructed like prehistoric skeletons and sharp footwear with a floating "D" across the foot, these diverse looks maintained the brand’s edgy ethos while introducing refreshed motifs inspired by a variety of sources.
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Eager to join in on the action, social media’s resident fashion fanatic, Jake Fleming, got out on the frontlines to see what precisely the Diesel team had cooked up—pun very much intended—in SS26. Jumping from destination to destination, the faithful correspondent was clearly struck by the collection’s potent design elements. Determined not to crack—they just keep coming—the Jake pressed on, keeping his composure as he ticked off one locale after the next, refusing to let the sheer number of outfits scramble his focus—is it getting to be too much now?
“I think it's great that [Diesel] is pioneering something different in the fashion industry, so we're not doing the same old show every single time,” the contemporary tastemaker notes. “It's a different experience that’s not so exclusive and actually incorporates the community that supports the brand.”
Serving as a central hub during the hunt, Piazza Cesare Beccaria welcomed the numerous participants who converged with the gregarious bystanders for a concluding celebration, toasting to imagination and innovation. Because if there’s one thing Diesel has never been, it’s overdone—come on, we had to slip one more in there.
See Diesel’s complete Spring Summer 2026 collection here.
