Denim to Dye For
Review of Diesel Spring 2025 Fashion Show
By Mark Wittmer
THE COLLECTION
THE VIBE
Distressed. Dyed. Deconstructed. Denim.
A designer who’s in it for the long game rather than taking a one-season-at-a-time mindset, Glenn Martens continues his steady evolution of Diesel denim, taking what the brand does best and rethinking it in a dozen different ways.
As if among the aftermath of a denimpocalypse, models strode across a stage strewn with denim scraps reclaimed from the production process – a process that is notoriously unsustainable in its water consumption and creation of byproducts, and that Diesel has committed to making sustainable. In addition to providing a fitting and visually striking backdrop for this collection that dissected all things denim, it sent an appropriate and subtly haunting message about the problems of waste and overconsumption that the industry generates. Meanwhile, the soundtrack spliced together a robotic recitation of the history of denim jeans with an avant-garde techno score.
With the scene set thusly, Martens unfolded his parade of controlled chaos as he reconsidered the crafting of denim at every step of the process: denim is dyed, shredded, whiskered, washed, laminated, spliced. The very warp and weft is reimagined to create gossamer, ethereal layers. Furthering the self-referential aspect, several of the closing looks feature full skeins of yarn voluminously constructed together and printed as if they were finished fabric. Towards the end of the collection, bodycon dresses were constructed from silk scarves printed with archival brand graphics – a clever riff that brought a familiar luxury staple into a distinct fashion universe.
THE DIRECTION
THE WRAP UP
As with his leadership of Y/Project that just concluded after 11 years, Martens’ approach to developing the Diesel brand is a marathon, not a sprint. Many of the design codes here are based in ideas we’ve seen from him before, but are subtly pushed in new directions each season. While this meant there weren’t any surprises or stunning standout pieces, it makes for a more thoughtful and rewarding longterm design strategy. Coupled with the smart staging and soundtrack, this practice forms a particularly potent reassertion of Diesel’s mastery of denim innovation.
