Review of Diesel Fall 2023 Fashion Show
Doing Damage in Denim
By Angela Baidoo
Just when you thought there was nothing more you could do with denim, Glenn Martens and his continued quest to reinvent that most humble of hardworking fabrics, provides the designer with a new avenue of exploration each season. Shredding, distressing, and tattering were all techniques seen on the runway, as an unexpected lo-fi decadence was created in these imperfect textures. The drive to be more experimental than previous seasons, pushed Martens to break boundaries and get more ambitious than ever.
The set design, which was draped in red and included a mountain of 200,000 condom packets, was a nod to the upcoming collaboration that the brand is doing with Durex.
The set design, which was draped in red and included a mountain of 200,000 condom packets, was a nod to the upcoming collaboration that the brand is doing with Durex. In April there will be nearly double the amount given away in stores to remind their customer that practicing safe sex is the only way to fully embrace “Sucsexful Living”. A play on words that will continue with a capsule collection, which marks the first time Durex has partnered with a fashion brand, and will feature a tongue-in-cheek update of their logo, swapping out the D, for Diesels infamous elongated font which graces their bags and accessories.
Jeans for both men and women – the bread and butter of the brand – seemed to almost melt away through a devoré technique, while mini-skirted knits and oversized hoodies were falling off the body with the excessive amount of distressing that had taken place. There was a moment of short respite from the ‘Designer Damage’, with the satin slip updated with the addition of draped chains which spelled out Diesel, and incorporated strategically placed eyelets to allow the wearer to adjust for as much or as little coverage as they dare. Then it was back to it, with the torrent of textured surfaces continuing unabated.
Moving on the idea of upcycling beyond patchworking, and interpreting how to deal with the end-of-life cycle conundrum, Diesel’s fall collection suggested a possible solution. This season to create custom pieces that embrace the imperfect, there was shearling bonded with denim, recycled nylon linings that were covered in plastic and heated resembling something akin to a coat that had been dipped in acid, and what has been branded ‘liquid fur’ was developed by painting deadstock fur, and again covering it in plastic and heating, while biker jackets simply got the blow-torch treatment. At Diesel, no fabric is left behind.
The designer also picked up on the return to tailoring and suggested his unique take on the pinstripe, which also received the denim treatment. A whiskering technique, more typically associated with jeans was applied to pinstripe suits for both men and women, which was a visionary idea which worked well within this collection. Graphic pop prints were blown up to abstract proportions so only the models teeth were visible, and emblazoned across T-shirts, ultra-mini sets, and outerwear with a glossy finish that made it seem like it had been ripped from a billboard and repurposed for the show.
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A whiskering technique, more typically associated with jeans, was applied to pinstripe suits for both men and women, which was a visionary idea which worked well within this collection
For todays club kids, this is their couture, as party – and if we’re being realistic daywear – in skinny or outsized fits, with a cheeky logo, and a nod to a little dishevelment came together in another collection that continued to elevate the Italian brand. And Martens, who must have been observing how dressing down has become as acceptable as dressing up, is positioning the diesel brand as a place that provides collections that straddle the line of both.