Diesel SS25 Finds Beauty in Waste
Where there is Diesel, there is denim. And in the case of Diesel SS25, there was a denim overload.
To the tune of an AI voice reading out a Wikipedia entry on denim, preceded by the repeated mantra “Diesel is Denim,” models walked out onto a vast square-shaped set where the floor was covered in (you guessed it!) denim. 14,800kg of denim scraps, to be precise.
The raggedy off-cuts of blue-colored fabric were a tacit reminder of the waste material fashion produces. It’s also Diesel’s way of promoting its work to reduce its waste output (the entire set will be reused and repurposed).
“There is beauty in waste, in what is distressed and destroyed. It’s in the circularity of denim waste, and into the distressing that we build into the collection,” says Glenn Martens, creative director of Diesel, having overseen Diesel’s denim output made from organic, recycled, or regenerative cotton grow from 3% to 50% in the last three years — an impressive statistic but one that still leaves room for improvement for the brand.
“This is the disruption of Diesel: we are pushing for circularity in our production as hard as we push the elevation of design,” continues Martens.
Building on the theme of appreciating waste, the clothes this season focused heavily on distressing (or, at least, what appeared to be distressing at first glance). Long stretches of embroidered fringing hung from the bottom of clothes, double loom knits and denim were lasered to create a distressed effect, and cotton came in a devoré jacquard, where the cotton is burnt away from the tulle beneath.
Whether he’s throwing raves, constructing a condom mountain, or having guests be stared down by a wall of Zoom calls, Diesel’s Milan Fashion Week presentations under the direction of Glenn Martens continue to be a highlight of fashion month.
This time, Glenn Martens' statement-making setup doubles up as a statement on denim’s environmental impact.
