This afternoon, Glenn Martins showcased Diesel’s FW25 offering at Milan Fashion Week. The set was the first—and most obvious—talking point. In the centre of the show space was a gargantuan, inflatable, extra-limbed doll, strewn in graffiti reading the likes of “Based Queen,” “TTYL BBL” and “Rebel.” The graffiti in question was contributed by artists throughout the globe, who the brand commissioned to put their stamp on a 3km canvas via an open call.
“The Diesel Art Collective celebrates the importance of artistry, community and inclusivity. A celebration that seems more important than ever,” shared the set’s concept designer, Dennis Vanderbroeck on Instagram. Given that the word trans was repeated across the canvas, sometimes alongside the trans flag, Vanderbroeck’s comment was undoubtedly a nod to the repealing of trans rights under Trump’s leadership. Last week, fashion’s own Hunter Shafer was misgendered on her passport, sparking outrage across the industry and beyond.
The psychedelic backdrop brought the collection's greyscale looks into sharp relief. Little colour could be found in the first 20 looks, rendered in tweed or printed with houndstooth. But colour came later, via Chanel-like tweed dresses, giant yellow swirling ruffles at the collar, and red hooded jackets. Notably, the collection was less denim-centric than usual, though there were splashes of houndstooth in washed denim, sometimes inventively worked into organza.
In terms of trends, Diesel went hard. Super-low-rise jeans meant some models had their bums out, while others were worn low to reveal exposed waistbands, resurrecting the boxers-on-display look that dominated the 2010s (the look chimed nicely with the graffiti backdrop tbf). The brand also served furry bags, as seen at Simone Rocha and Gucci. Bras peaked out above corset tops a la Miu Miu, or were exposed below tops cropped at the neckline.
But the collection's most sartorially striking feature was its silhouettes: structured dresses and corsets were cinched in at the waist, A-line micro-mini skirts ended above the pelvic region (so will likely be worn over trousers), and backless (quite literally) shirts looked like they had been glued or painted on.
Beauty-wise, the brand's staple creepy contact lenses have gone nowhere, giving the models an uncanny valley aesthetic. Elsewhere, joker-esque fake smiles were painted over faces, a veneer of happiness amid a dystopian hellscape.
Homepage image via Getty
More on Culted
See: Is your Gorpcore killing you?
See: How Gaelic Athletic Association gear became the ultimate drip
