Denim, leather and military, the foundations of Diesel, define the brand’s autum-winter men’s and women’s collections.
Inspired by contemporary and natural worlds, artistic director Nicola Formichetti edges the brand’s core aesthetics into new ground for a line-up of formidable yet wearable clothes created with Diesel’s unmistakable signatures.
“This season, I wanted to explore the other side of Diesel, which is fun-loving and a little bit ironic - it’s very free-spirited. I was imagining who we are: urban nomads who travel around the world and go to different music festivals like Coachella and Glastonbury,” Formichetti said.
Music festival inspiration breathes easygoing attitude into Diesel’s key military looks. Classic military wear of army green parkas and jackets are contrasted against patterned fabrics and soft shapes. They top long lace or tulle slip dresses or are layered over washed cotton shirts and vivid, striped, marled and leopard knits in cosy brushed mohair or alpaca.
Music festival inspiration breathes easygoing attitude into Diesel’s key military looks
Floral and check shirts come patch-worked or in edgy constructions, like a men’s design which features one checked fabric in a vest over a shirt made from a diverse check.
Military uniforms lend structure and clean lines to outerwear: officer-style black wool coats with gold buttons, down bombers and hooded jackets with fur trims. Dresses, one long-sleeved in boiled wool, the other a sleeveless shirt dress in army green cotton show the diverse sides of formal and casual military wear.
Insignia resembling military rankings, multiple patches and tabs on boiled wool bombers, hooded sweatshirts and jacquard designs in fine wool and cashmere blend knits create Diesel’s own army.
Authoring new leather constructions each season, Diesel leather is founded in tried and true and novel inspiration. Timeless leather references of the motorcycle jacket and military styles are given new finishes.
A washed black biker jacket’s faded finish resembles soft acid wash denim with striking accents of studs on the collar and epaulets and red and blue leather trim on zips and pockets.
An aged, lived-in tan women’s biker plays its toughness against a sheer organza floral shirt. Military aviator and bomber styles – some with shearling collars – add uniform-style polish, paired with the collection’s innovative denim.
Leather is mixed with other fabrics to invigorate traditional outerwear: leather arms on a cotton parka or a wool bomber. Formichetti’s fascination with urban nomads adds texture to narrow silhouettes via long fur vests and coats and creamy shearlings with oversized collars and leather trims.
Denim, Diesel’s genetic code, is produced with an artisanal, couture hand. Designs are matched with treatment innovation. Scored and ripped all the way down the leg and repatched, a pair of overwashed jeans “look a hundred years old and will last another 100 years”, Formichetti says.
Dirty denim, staining on jackets and jeans looking like they’ve absorbed the natural hues of earth further soften washed designs. Skinny jeans feature ergonomic seams in compact, high, stretch denim that flatters and adheres to the leg.
Denim jackets, shirts and shirt dresses are destroyed, crumpled or spot-washed, so that fade marks give the fabric a lived-in appearance and comfortable feel. For the black carpet, denim is cut in a tuxedo jacket and with black lace for a dress.
Accessories are shaped from rigorous military shoes: lace-up boots, polished black platform pumps, mirrored gold, thick, rubber-soled Oxfords for men and women. Structured bags are crafted from army green flannel or leather satchels bound with black leather straps.
The new collection is available from Diesel stores in Merchants Street, Valletta and St Anne’s Square, Sliema.