As soon as guests stepped into the venue for the Diesel Spring/Summer 2025 show, it was a denim overload. The space, filled with almost 15,000 kg worth of denim scraps, was part of an immersive experience. Over the speakers, an AI voice recited the Wikipedia entry on denim. Since his appointment to the Italian brand, Glenn Martens has remained true to Diesel’s DNA. Even when he ventures creatively—last season’s waxed braided knitwear is still fresh in our minds—Diesel proudly remains a denim brand.

Martens' tenure has not only been creatively prosperous but has also marked a shift in the brand's sustainability practices. Under his leadership, the use of organic or recycled cotton has increased from 3% to 57%. We can exhale—the scraps that flood the venue floor will be repurposed too.

Aesthetically, this season felt like a paring back, a more minimalist approach compared to previous collections. In place of vibrant colours or seductively sheer creations, Martens created a homecoming of sorts. The collection opened with a series of distressed looks, with denim strings used as fringe, laces, and scarves.

The fraying extended beyond its original medium. Leather pieces had open wounds, bleeding fringe to mimic a distressed material. A Prince of Wales printed leather section was particularly mouthwatering.

Leather was transformed and printed on to emulate denim with uncanny precision. There's an irony in that: leather, a more expensive textile, undergoes an equally costly process to resemble a more affordable material. But that encapsulates Diesel perfectly—as the voice that echoed through the venue before the show declared, "Diesel is denim."

Words by Pedro Vasconcelos

DIESEL SS25

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