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Denim, MTV-mania, sex. Glenn Martens serves an aggressive collection for Diesel SS23

Glenn Martens is on a mission to talk to every individual and democratise fashion. The Spring Summer 2023 collection is referencing denim manipulation, dystopia and animalistic qualities

Welcome to the Diesel democracy – Diesel SS23

Diesel SS23 collection makes history at Milan Fashion Week. Being an expert in experimental fashion, Glenn Martens proves once again to be handling denim like no one else can. It was a show for the first time. Thousands of free tickets were made available to the general public and students from Milan’s fashion and design schools. The first to make a live debut of almost 5000 people after overcoming the intimacy of fashion presentations during Covid. 

«I took inspiration from the metro», he released in a statement. «I feel that denim is a democratic material. You can wear it with a high heel, you can go to a cocktail, you can go rave».

The collection displays an all-gender wardrobe of denim, utility, pop-and-play. The strongest Marten’s effort since becoming the creative helm of Diesel in late 2020. 

Martens’ ambition «to talk to all people, to insist on it» is part of the mission he has been charged with; to revitalise and democratise the brand.

He emerged at the right time; while the younger generation was still easing out of Covid restrictions and began to discover, reinvent and find itself.

In the designer’s words, Diesel is essentially a brand for anyone who wants to relate, because everyone is individual and no two people are the same. 

A collection of many themes, but first, denim

Tie dye denim, bleached denim, ripped off denim, oversized denim, knit, flocked, fringed and ‘sunburnt’ denim. The designer has made it well clear that Diesel is a vessel to play with the material; as well as a way to discover how it can be mixed in with the other symbols embedded in the brand’s designs. 

Every creation celebrated the ability to shift shapes, adopting unusual textures and colors: bra tops, oversized vests, sliced—or should we say destroyed? Jeans, oversized dresses, distressed hot pants, baggy trench coats, and structured see-through corsets; all the models gave the vibe of coming from a parallel dystopian dimension.

Also leather was wrecked, shredded and played up with contrasting materials. 

Army references, camouflage, animalistic qualities and motorcycle looks: the collection felt joyous with a strong character. And it had Martens experimenting with neon colors, metallics, crocodile skin detailing and pieces covered in a shiny layer of plastic.

The enormity of the enhanced volumes of the jeans and the coats worked as a reminder of Martens’ work at Y/Project. 

The beauty of broken, imperfect pieces – Diesel SS23

The collection was divided into four chapters: denim, utility wear, pop and extravaganza. 

Within these perimeters, he found range via fabric manipulation and innovative treatments. Resulting in the figure of a more mature —but always irreverent and with style— image of a real and raw person.

Distress was one overlying characteristic present in every piece: «They are ‘imperfect’ through treatment and design. This is something I like, but it also goes back to that democratic instinct. It is supposed to look broken so that you can live with it forever—it is unbreakable». As a matter of fact, Martens stressed that these pieces were processed in Diesel’s distressing facilities. Nothing was done by high-luxury hands

The return of the aggressive MTV/techno pop aesthetics

While a scary, monstrous breath was blasted at full volume. The techno soundtrack built suspense and accelerated the models’ parade, showing one denim look after the other.

The youngsters were not chosen casually, and as Martens said, they represent the spirit of the new Diesel kid. «They want to fuck you over and have fun». In the end, «it’s about owning your situation and not giving a shit».

The final artisanal pieces included Diesel’s version of furs crafted from over 15000 leftover aged and brushed Diesel labels; and olive bomber; cargo pants; and a parade of post-industrial jersey ensembles.

We’ve seen all of this before, but under Martens’ eye it felt mature, well-crafted and going in a different direction.

It was a personalised delivery of pop with the acid-toned racer-back or spaghetti-strap minidresses and zip dresses. 

The Diesel ‘D’ emblem accentuated other essential pieces, used as a metal plaque cut-out on jackets or belts. 

Butt plugs and erotically involved inflatable human figures 

Diesel SS23’s invitation to the Allianz Cloud Arena came with an intriguing glass butt plug. This was the second sex toy after last season’s candy thong, already giving the attitude Martens wanted to convey with his creations. 

Sitting in the front row are Julia Fox—one of the most influential dressers of our time; whose style perfectly encapsulates Diesel’s philosophy, which is powerful and provocative. Finally Anna Dello Russo, a turning-heads one-of-a-kind moment gifted to the Internet.

A one minute countdown opened and closed the show, accompanied by lights progressively going from red to black. When the show started, the models paraded in a room with four massive, sexually involved inflatable sculptures; rendered in the biggest scale possible. The gigantic set-up was Guinness World Record approved. 

Each guest was also given a free commemorative NFT. 

Diesel SS23

Designed by Glenn Martens the collection was presented at Milan Fashion Week 2022 Diesel SS23 was the first fashion show open to the public.

Martina Tondo

The writer does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article.

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