On February 21st, Glenn Martens invited 1,000 virtual attendees via Zoom call to serve as a background of the fashion show. Their presence was projected on the walls of the runway, raising the questions of “Who is actually watching whom?”.
From young fashion students to total aliens and along with 7,000 offline audiences, they “watched while being watched”. Not to cease there, the jaw-dropping part of the show lies on the ready-to-wear garments with faces of Zoom attendees printed on them. Despite the seemingly “randomness” of the screenshots and the “boring” nature of Zoom meeting, the color composition of the garment is meticulously designed to match the fashion house codes: vibrance and zest.
Diesel Ready-to-Wear Fall Collection 2024
Besides the absolute tease for dimensions on the runway, Martens also revolutionizes the two vital elements of the brand’s wardrobe – denim and jersey textiles – by experimenting with two-dimensional manipulations on fuzzy materials.
Two-dimensional manipulations on fuzzy materials
In the previous week leading up to the show, on its website and Instagram account, Diesel showed its commitment to transparency by live streaming the show’s styling, casting, ateliers, and runway setup for 24 hours a day. This perfectly aligns with Martens’ vision for the fashion show “a uniquely voyeuristic and interactive experience.” To elevate the notion of transparency – “our hidden sides breaking into the open, the inside coming out”, Martens incorporates dégradés and burn-out treatments—such as button-down shirts that have been so washed out that the transparent layer underneath is visible, leopard print dresses that eventually show floral prints—into its well-established distressed design language.
Leopard/ floral print dress
The fabrics are torn up to display a different texture and with the aid of kaleidoscopic color, ribbed knitwear and skirts are presented more luxurious but still maintains the casualness of the RTW collection. Moreover, Martens’s skillful mastery in textile is also utilized to make certain fabrics look the way they are not meant to be. Aged tops showed off transparent parts designed to resemble the sweat line after a party; sheer garments that are supposed to expose the body actually have fabric covering it; fabrics that are not denim are printed and dyed to look like denim.
Diesel Denim-Look Garments
By providing us with an open uncensored immersive look into its preparation for the fashion show and matching its message on the runway’s garments, Diesel is undoubtedly the pioneer of the definition of “Transparency”, making them the most democratic fashion house in the industry.