Diesel Resort 2023
Consistency was king at Diesel. For resort, creative director Glenn Martens continued to build on the core codes he helped to dust off upon his arrival in late 2020 and has anchored his vision on ever since.
Early Aughts references, fabric experimentation and sustainable innovation make up the pillars of his creative tenure — and of this cool collection, too. After all, why change? Filtered through Martens’ frisky energy, these elements brought back momentum around the label, restoring its status as a pop culture-driver and a synonym for a fun, irreverent and unapologetic approach to fashion.
More from WWD
Alessi Marks 100th Anniversary, Stages Exhibition During Milan Design Week
Thun Builds Home Decor Group Banking on Post-pandemic Appetite for Category
Hence, Martens reiterated the three stylistic areas he has focused on so far: denim in all its forms, utilitarian influences and MTV-heyday-evoking pop aesthetics.
Denim conveyed a raw and fierce attitude with its distressed surfaces in low-waisted jeans, miniskirts and jackets, as well as in Bermuda pants worn out to the point of revealing a lining underneath or short shorts threadbare at the waist but supported by an integrated belt. The introduction of a waterproof treatment gave a glossy look to the fabric in outerwear, while an allover graphic effect on denim was created by spelling out the name of the brand on the reverse of the cloth.
Diesel’s cheekier side was revealed in jeans featuring contrasting colors to accentuate curves, as well as in new branded underwear peeking out from pants. Keeping with the sassy vibe, body-hugging ribbed tops and knit minidresses came with metallic finishes and the brand’s D logo hardware as embellishment, whereas asymmetric dresses were standouts both when stretching over the body or cut in more generous volumes with drawstrings handing customization power to the wearer. Silhouettes’ manipulation and ironic undertone also informed the utilitarian pieces, as seen in cargo pants covered in removable oversize pockets or in denim pants morphing appearance via zippers.
“The last year and a half has been about reconnecting to the brand’s DNA….Now it’s about to really push it and, as a pre-collection to elaborate on more democratic categories and make sure that everybody can access these,” Martens said over Zoom a few days before leaving for Tokyo, where he will restage the Diesel fall 2022 collection on Thursday.
Also answering to young consumers’ demand, the Belgian designer restated his sustainable commitment via a capsule collection of Diesel Rehab Denim, crafted from reconstituted denim scraps and recycled cotton, among others. Starting from this collection, the new Diesel Essentials category of logo jersey pieces will also be fully made with organic cotton and prints with low environmental impact.
Launch Gallery: Diesel Resort 2023
Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
