Though Diesel has always been intrinsically associated with denim, the hardy material indeed dominated the house’s SS25 show at Milan Fashion Week. An observer wouldn’t even need to look at the clothes to see the proof of concept: the show’s set was built from over 15 tons of denim scraps. And this denim deluge wasn’t just for show either: the entire set will be repurposed, as denim waste can be used to create materials like denim roll, which has applications in the automotive and insulation industries. “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. This is the disruption of Diesel: we are pushing for circularity in our production as hard as we push the elevation of design,” said Glenn Martens, the brand’s creative director.
And this commitment to denim — and circularity — expanded to Martens’ latest collection for the brand. Across 70+ looks, the humble, hardworking material saw a cornucopia of elevated applications. Standouts among these included coats made entirely from leftover spools of denim thread or wrapped and tied waste yarn, archival Diesel bandanna prints coated onto pleated fabric before being cracked for a trompe l’oeil effect and double-breasted leather jackets treated to look like they were made of distressed denim.
The cracked bandanna prints were also far from the only eye-deceiving detail in the collection. Several pieces offered a “distressed” neckline that was, in fact, a devoré jacquard, the cotton burnt away to the tulle beneath to create a distressed effect, overdyed denim that gave a camel color and denim micro shorts with extra-long fringing for a length that would be impossible to achieve through regular distressing.
Check out the whole collection in the gallery and video above, then head to Hypebeast’s Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2025 hub for more show reviews, critique and goings-on.