// Diesel Soars

12th May 2011 12:27:55

Diesel// 55DSL// Black Gold

I hadn’t really given much thought to Diesel jeans since my days a student, can we just say a little while a go now? As with most habits and not all of them bad, I did tend to pick up one or two from the three or more years growing I did during this time. I think for a while there was a stigma involved with Diesel at least with me from this point, easy fashion, kind’ve just a name. However; all has changed and without making myself a cliché as any comparisons always seem to be football or relationships, but just run with it, please? It is like the girl you got bored of moving on to the new best thing and didn’t look back, thinking you were pretty much better off and it was my decision anyway. But it’s maybe ten years on now and she has the new haircut, maybe been to the gym a bit and you’re wondering how long it’s been this good because it’s not how I remembered it!

Diesel was formed in 1978 in Italy, a timeline which makes such a worldly brand quite astonishing; after all there was a time that you couldn’t walk past say, ten or twenty people in the street without seeing a pair. Not much of the rise has been left to chance in any case, the blue print is ‘US marketing, Italian creativity, and German systems’ now to me that seems quite a formidable combination indeed. Current #1, Renzo Rosso has had the complete acquisition since 1988 and until recently, 2009 to be specific creative direction was taken by Wilbert Das, a partnership that lasted twenty years. Das however did leave under somewhat of a cloud and sources say, and you have to love ‘sources’ the spoken and unnamed that seem to have all the answers. Well they say Das was feeling a touch neglected, having been responsible for the gorilla campaigning that was fresh and pragmatic, for example hooking up with Sony to allow gamers to dress characters in the brand, but all at a price I hope you understand.

I maybe have gone a touch from the point initially, the point being Diesel is big and the current set of designs is massively impressive. Just look at the ‘T Math Graphic’ T shirt, which I think could be taken out of a coffee table thumber for Swiss graphic design. The Black Gold asymmetric printed T is culturally relevant and could be loosely impressed by ‘These New Puritans’ first album cover. These new Puritans second spinner, 'Hidden' having been NME’s album of the year for 2010 shows how far ranging and distinct the brand has levelled.

The two billion pound empire includes stakes or complete holdings in DSqured2 and Vivienne Westwood. Links with L’Oreal, Fossil and Saffio for fragrances, watches and eyewear respectively shows the extent the brand has grown into itself, even a joint venture with Adidas originals in 2007.

So unlike the polished ex that may catch your eye as she struts yonder, Diesel should never have left my attention. The brand is as original and relevant as ten years ago it’s just waiting for you to dig out the number and call by.

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Categories: Diesel