Diesel describes themselves as a brand that is “rooted in denim mastery” and that they are “a true alternative to the established luxury market.” Diesel has been described as a clothing company specializing in high-quality jeans and other apparel and accessories for women, men, and children of all ages. The Italian brand has seen an increase in popularity over the past couple of years, including in the K-pop industry. Idols have been spotted wearing their products while out and about, during events and on stage, in magazine and comeback photos, etc. Even big stars such as NewJeans’ Minji, Le Sserafim’s Chaewon, Blackpink’s Jisoo, and BTS’ V have been caught wearing their products around. This comes after they stated that the brand wanted to expand its connection with the music industry.
Not only is Diesel taking over these idols’ personal closets, but their stage outfits too. Wearing Diesel while performing has become very common nowadays. Back in 2022, Le Sserafim’s Yunjin wore Diesel’s Browny B-Berny Belt MiniSkirt from the brand’s 2022 Fall/Winter collection as a top. This created lots of noise in the community as netizens were shocked at the creative way that the idol wore the skirt, especially after it had been labeled unwearable and impractical by people online. Additionally, this past summer at Summer Sonic, a festival held for two days in Japan, boy group NCT Dream was seen in Diesel outfits. From tank tops, t-shirts, pants, belts, and jackets, the 6 members in attendance were nearly head to toe in full Diesel clothing.
The M-Arcey Mini Dress from the brand’s Fall/Winter 2022 collection had especially been popular among female idols. After popular 2NE1 member CL posted a photo in this dress it began to pop up in multiple other magazines and conceptual photos. Other big-name idols such as aespa’s Karina, NewJeans’ Haerin, and Red Velvet’s Joy have worn the same dress around.
This popularity of Diesel in Korea hasn’t gone unnoticed either, with the brand inviting some of the biggest K-pop idols to their shows. They have even begun to partner with some idols, showcasing the brand’s strategic expansion and connection with the music industry. One of said idols is Seventeen’s Hoshi. Hoshi attended the brand’s Fall/Winter 2024 showcase in Milan last February, and since then has been very vocal about his love for the brand, with their pieces making an appearance in many of his Instagram posts. He has collaborated and been seen in the brand’s clothing, attended Diesel’s third store opening in South Korea in July as well as Milan Fashion Week for Diesel SS25, and was also named as a brand ambassador this year. The outfit Hoshi wore to Milan Fashion Week Diesel show was one of my favorites. I loved the matching set on him and felt the colors suited him. However, Hoshi’s all-denim look from the brand’s Fall/Winter 2024 showcase has long been my personal favorite and solidified my love for Diesel. Since then I have been dedicated to collecting all of the pieces that he wore in order to recreate the look myself.
One of my favorite Diesel pieces that has been popular among male idols is the D-Nata-Fse Sleeveless Denim Top from the brand’s SS24 collection. This top has been seen on Monsta X’s I.M, RIIZE’s Sungchan, &Team’s Yuma, and Seventeen’s Hoshi. I love this piece because I am a big fan of denim on denim and by extension anything that is denim too. Diesel’s take on denim and the growing popularity of double denim is a great example of luxury streetwear. Mixing the two seamlessly shows off their streetwear clothing while also making it luxurious and something we’d see from a premium fashion brand.
Diesel has made a name for themeselves in K-Pop. Their longevity in the community is apparent throughout concerts and shows. A true domination of an industry that has already dominated our culture.
Words by Clayton Creech
Graphic by Flora Medina