Diesel continues to position itself as a cultural pioneer with its latest project, a two-pronged partnership with the Tom of Finland Foundation.
Launching to align with Pride Month, the initiative includes a Tom of Finland-inspired capsule collection and a group exhibition, "AllTogether," spotlighting erotic art across several decades.
For the apparel, the Tom of Finland Foundation provided Diesel with a selection of works from its LGBTQIA+ art collection to feature on separates and accessories ranging from denim jackets and shirts to tote bags and underwear.
Tom of Finland's famous signature appears emblazoned on tighty-whities, but the beauty of the collection is its celebration of a range of queer artists: pieces by Heather Benjamin, Peter Berlin, Florian Hetz, Michael Kirwan, Silvia Prada, Palanca (AKA Pedro Santillana), and Tank (AKA Paul Tankersley) make an appearance.
As for the exhibition, "AllTogether" highlights over 70 artists who entrusted their work to the Tom of Finland Foundation archive.
Tom of Finland and Durk Dehner originally founded the Foundation in 1984 to preserve and promote the work of its namesake. However, the organization quickly became a pillar of the wider queer community. Faced with the AIDS epidemic, many LGBTQIA+ artists feared their work and stories would be forgotten. To ensure their legacies would live on, these artist donated their oeuvre to the Foundation.
In a letter to the press, Diesel creative director Glenn Martens explained the impetus behind the project.
"Since the '90s, Diesel’s advertisement campaigns have set a unique tone of voice, serving as an antidote to the status quo... with that in mind, I feel Diesel needs to act more as a platform and amplify deeper, real, and amazing stories that can make a difference in the world we live in today."
The Diesel x Tom of Finland Foundation collection is available now at Diesel's website. "AllTogether" is on view at Studio Cannaregio in Venice and The Community Centre in Paris through June 26.
