When last year Glenn Martens became the creative director of the naughty Italian fashion house Diesel, he knew that he wanted to continue the brand’s legacy of boldly standing against the injustices faced by the LGBTQ+ community. Bringing this sentiment of inclusion to the forefront, the designer decided to partner with the Tom of Finland Foundation - an organization devoted to preserving and collecting the works of queer artists, founded by the legendary illustrator and his partner, Durk Dehner - and The Community art centre on an exhibition titled ‘AllTogether’.
The show, which opens in Paris on the 8th of May (exactly 102 years since the birth of Tom of Finland), features an incredible selection of works by queer artists from the foundation’s permanent collection, presented for the first time outside of Los Angeles - Tank, Al Urban, Emma Kohlmann and Florian Hetz are only a few names from the exhibition’s extensive line-up. To celebrate the launch of ‘AllTogether’, we spoke with Martens about the foundation’s dedication to remembrance and Diesel’s socially-engaged vision.
How did the idea for the ‘AllTogether’ exhibition come about?
Diesel has been talking about sustainability and hot social topics since the 90s, all with a signature ironic tone of voice. When I joined Diesel, I also wanted to be part of the values of the brand: on the product side, we started working towards stronger sustainability, and when it comes to social sustainability, I thought that collaborating with the foundation could have accelerated the topic of sexual acceptance. The Tom of Finland Foundation and The Community have curated all the aspects of the exhibition, and our role has been to give a platform to these important institutions, as they have been an example for the community for such a long time. We are extremely honoured and proud to give our support to Durk and ToF and celebrate this together.
Why is the foundation created in Tom’s name important to you?
It’s a symbol of community, acceptance and the feeling of togetherness: on top of collecting amazing art, the foundation has worked extremely hard in the past to support queer artists during difficult times - when marginalized young gay people were dying by themselves. Thanks to this work, many artists found a way of talking through art, and also a safe shelter: even in more recent times, the foundation hosted persecuted artists which could not be themselves in their own countries or in their own society, providing them with a safe place through the art, but also physically with residencies and fighting alongside them for gay rights.
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“The Tom of Finland Foundation is a symbol of community, acceptance and the feeling of togetherness: on top of collecting amazing art, it has worked extremely hard in the past to support queer artists during difficult times - when marginalized young gay people were dying by themselves.”
In what ways does the work of the foundation reflect the vision that you have for Diesel?
The foundation is an incredible example of remembrance: it’s actually the work of many generations of activists and artists who have helped creating in a certain part of the society a place of acceptance to remind people that the emancipation of the LGBTQ+ community has not been an easy job. Diesel can bring this very same message of inclusion, it’s part of its founding values from the very beginning. The first time I ever saw a gay couple making out, for example, was in a Diesel advertising campaign. In the 90s, the brand advocated for causes like gay rights or anti-racism, back when they were subjects that few were talking about. Today, being at the helm of a global brand like Diesel means being aware of the responsibilities the role brings: it’s not just about making beautiful clothes anymore, but also about being engaged in society, making sure you can accelerate the change you want to see.
‘AllTogether’ by Tom of Finland Foundation and The Community, supported by Diesel, is open from 8.05 to 26.06 in Paris.
Interview by Martin Onufrowicz
