Glenn Martens’ Diesel Fall/Winter 2025 collection reimagines classic elegance through a lens of anarchic creativity. Anchored by sharp contrasts-luxurious tweed meets bumster denim, Chanel-esque bouclé collides with dystopian details-the lineup delivers Martens’ boldest vision yet for the Italian label.
The show unfolded inside a massive inflatable structure draped with graffiti from over 7,000 global artists, a collaborative canvas that reflected Martens’ design ethos. Models walked past upcycled inflatable sculptures from Diesel’s Spring/Summer 2023 show, their blank stares and spray-painted “Joker” smiles adding to the collection’s unsettling glamour.
Martens reworked traditional fabrics with subversive twists. Gray bouclé jackets, pink-and-green tweed coats and houndstooth jacquard dresses nodded to Coco Chanel‘s legacy, but were subverted by exaggerated proportions and trompe l’oeil prints. Drop-waist silhouettes suspended skirts mid-hip, while bumster jeans and leather trousers slid precariously low – a cheeky nod to the anti-fashion of the 1990s. Even conservative knit twinsets were given an edge with blown-out jacquards and acid-toned ruffles.
Technical innovation appeared in glazed denim with matte finishes, flesh-toned cable knits embedded with faux chest hair, and rubber-molded sweaters that clung like a second skin. A quilted leather jacket stitched with scarlet thread nodded to Savile Row tailoring, while wrinkled shirts and crumpled blazers nodded to Martens’ earlier work at Y/Project.
Martens described the concept as “Coco Chanel goes to Balmoral and gets trashed on sherry,” a premise realized through jarring juxtapositions. Betty Flintstone-esque fur dresses shared the runway with sleek “Star Trek” coats, and tailored tweed peplums topped jacquard underwear. Eveningwear took surreal form in photo-printed shirt fronts pasted to torsos, paired with jeans that revealed plumber’s cracks – a deliberate clash of polish and vulgarity.
Distressed fabrics and intentionally rough finishes underscored the collection’s punk spirit, but meticulous craftsmanship elevated even the most chaotic pieces. Bubble-shaped puffers and trapeze dresses in blurred houndstooth demonstrated Martens’ ability to warp convention without sacrificing wearability.
Backstage, Martens confirmed his continued role at Diesel alongside his new position at Maison Margiela and hinted at further genre-blurring experiments. With Fall/Winter 2025, he solidifies Diesel’s identity as a hub for fashion that thrills and disrupts in equal measure.
©Photo: Diesel