In the midst of Milan fashion Week, Glenn Martens shocked the public with his sexy but sultry collection for the Diesel FW23 show. The ready-to-wear styles contained a multitude of textiles, and latex seemed to play a lucrative part of the performative aspect of their show.
Martens is known for implementing humor into conceptual ideas, and for this year’s inspiration he decided to look towards safe sex and sex positivity with a mountain of 200,000 durex condoms on the runway along with provocative sounding audio in the background.
The show began with staple denim looks navigating their way down the runway with an iridescent burnout effect. Moving through, we saw satin sets that alluded to the idea that these looks are associated with the bedroom. Martens ability to manipulate and treat denim is unmatched, elevating techniques like fraying, acid washing, dyeing, and bleaching. Towards the end of the show, we saw some more graphic styles that Diesel has been known to produce. Following trends from earlier this year, the designer played with the idea of the naked body through mesh, sheer, or super small garments.
Although the streetwear brand is known for its clothing, this season has brought an astonishing amount of accessories, most notably the handbags. They ranged from over the shoulder, clutch, and tote bag styles with the Diesel emblem engraved on the front. One bag in particular is made of denim and frayed at the edges. The brand is typically known for their denim, ragged sets, and wild hardware, but this show knitwear was added to their repertoire of mediums, as multiple pieces spell out “Diesel” using a frayed knit technique. Throughout the collection, the brand’s logo, which is a big “D”, was showcased as much as possible. This time, the “D” could also have stood for Durex. According to the company, this is the first time Durex has played a role in a fashion collection. Diesel plans to give away 200,000 to 300,000 free Durex condoms at Diesel stores worldwide. Although it’s not the most sustainable idea, by bringing these social issues to the forefront, Martens blatantly acknowledges the hookup culture that runs rampant in today’s day and age.
The Italian brand is bringing a new outlook on sex positivity in a very literal way. Many designers typically allude to their designs radiating sex appeal, but Glen Martens tries his hand at literally selling safe sex, selling safety in sexy.
Words by Olivia Lively.
Graphic by Reem Hinedi