Aranyaa Chowdhury

Diesel’s SS25: The Denim Rebellion We Didn’t Know We Needed

Imagine walking into a runway set made entirely from 14,800 kg of denim scraps, and you’ll get an idea of Diesel’s SS25 show. Diesel has just declared war on waste in the chicest way possible. With Creative Director Glenn Martens at the helm, the brand took the very fabric it's been synonymous with—denim—and turned it into a full-blown recycling revolution on the Milan Fashion Week runway. Even though we all know that Diesel is denim, and the collection was an all-out celebration of that fact—it wasn’t your basic jeans-and-jacket kind of moment. Think micro denim shorts dripping with ridiculously long fringes, distressed chambray slip dresses, and even leather jackets treated to look like denim. Martens didn’t just stick to denim’s traditional vibe—he made it wild, sexy, and totally unexpected. The show gave us everything from leather-meets-denim illusions to fringed jeans that looked like they came straight out of a futuristic rodeo.

Think part high fashion, part eco-warrior, and 100% Diesel. Every look screamed, “Waste is beautiful,” echoing the brand’s commitment to circularity. Denim wasn’t just clothing; it was a statement. And when we say Diesel took circularity seriously, we mean it—every scrap of fabric used for the set is being recycled after the show. The sustainability message wasn’t just tacked on as an afterthought. It was woven (pun intended) into the very fabric of the collection.

Diesel’s signature distressed style was pushed to new extremes, too. Cotton sweatshirts, mini dresses, and tank tops played with Trompe l’oeil effects that looked torn but were actually crafted through intricate techniques like devoré jacquard. Martens also hit us with Prince of Wales checks plastered on everything from bikinis to long-sleeved dresses, with, of course, the now-signature extra-long fringes dancing off the hems.

The Play-Double-D bag debuted, dripping with Diesel’s iconic bandana prints, and the D-Lake platform shoes brought in some serious statement vibes with their transparent soles. Even the eyewear, developed with Luxottica, stayed true to the collection’s distressed aesthetic, featuring tumbled and sculpted designs that looked straight out of a futuristic daydream.

What really brought the whole show together was the way Martens reimagined denim itself. He crafted oversized jeans and floor-length coats made entirely from 100% recycled cotton, proving that sustainability and high fashion can walk hand in hand. The denim pieces were laser-treated to appear worn and torn, with each stitch and fray meticulously planned out. The whole collection felt like a love letter to denim, but one where the pages were torn, crumpled, and repurposed into something entirely new. In the world of Diesel, denim isn’t just a fabric—it’s a symbol of defiance, rebellion, and, most importantly, possibility. And for SS25, Glenn Martens didn’t just show us what denim can be—he showed us that fashion can be conscious, creative, and still incredibly cool.