Summary
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Glenn Martens’ Diesel FW26 collection was presented in a surreal “garden” of 50,000 memorabilia objects, featuring Diesel signatures like creased denim and grungey knitwear.
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The show balanced meticulous fabric manipulation, like “fire-streaked” furs and glowing seams, with wearable, commercial appeal, solidifying Martens’ mastery of the brand.
On Tuesday afternoon, Glenn Martens presented his Diesel FW26 collection in Milan, inviting guests into a space centered around more than 50,000 objects and props from the Diesel universe.
Resembling a postmodern version of Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights, the collection reflected the colorful, hedonistic, and maximalist style of the iconic painting through Martens’ pop-art-inspired aesthetic. Wearing sculptural, scrunched denim and neon-tinged numbers, the models made their way through a “garden” of objects featuring life-size figurines—ranging from polar bears to aliens and Santa Claus. Outsized inflatables, plants, and even a car were scattered among pieces of clothing and jewelry.
The presentation began with denim and knitwear-focused looks: classic Diesel jeans were washed and creased, while jersey basics and knitted sweaters were scrunched into amorphous tops. A unique recycled felt fabric resembling insulation was tailored into sartorial pieces, including an overcoat and a two-piece suit. Touches of whimsy, including bursting florals and lustrous organza fabrics, were juxtaposed with Diesel’s grungier expression: ripped tees, flocked denim, faded graphic shirts, and plaid skirts wrapped at the waist like flannel shirting.
Fur has had a major presence throughout the FW26 collections, and Martens quite literally carried the torch into Milan Fashion Week. Gray fur coats and tops boasted bright orange, red, and blue streaks, making the garments look as if they had been set on fire as they caught the wind on the runway. Later, sheer tops and embellished denim appeared to glow from within, bleeding pink and turquoise from the seams and creases.
The show closed with a run of pastel-hued leather jackets and laminated jeans in baby blue, pink, yellow, and orange. The final looks deconstructed contemporary womenswear, combining spliced floral fabrics with high-contrast pleats and reworking them with signature creasing.
Despite the display of excess, the collection was far from kitsch. Instead, it continued to showcase the artful approach Martens has cultivated during his five-year tenure at the Italian label. With one foot in the avant-garde at Maison Margiela and clearly influenced by his former leadership at Y/Project, the designer proved once again that he is a master of surreal fabric manipulation. As demonstrated in previous seasons, Martens successfully balanced awe-inspiring spectacle with pieces that remain essentially wearable.