The Tamesis
“I think this is the most storytelling we’ve done at Diesel in the last five years,” Glenn Martens boldly said on Zoom, just a day before Diesel’s Fall/Winter 2026 show. I was still in London, so I studied photos of the show before we spoke. The series is based on the good walk of shame, which inspired the idea behind the series. “Think of all the parties Diesel has thrown in its 48-year history. We wanted to show that,” Martens said. “It’s a sea of party feasts.”
Delve into the brand’s visual history, which includes 50,000 artifacts from Diesel shows, parties, window displays, events and offices, explains Martens. These include giant dinosaurs, astronaut costumes, cars, motorcycles, inflatable animals, tons of jewelry, clothes and shoes, and a bevy of toy Santa Clauses. “There’s even the birthday gifts we give each other, items on employees’ desks and the clothes they wear at work. [Diesel founder and OTB chairman] Renzo Rosso’s birthday party, because he always loved throwing birthday parties,” said Martens, “There were all kinds of things! “
The shame-inspired walking collection is based on one of Diesel’s core values. “Diesel is about a successful life. Of course, part of a successful life is the walk of shame of success,” Martens smiles. “As a brand, we have [always] Attend parties and celebrations. This walk of shame, you own it, you’re gorgeous, you don’t really know where you woke up, how you woke up…but you leave, you’re happy and beautiful, and you don’t care. “
The costumes are based on memories of the party. Whether it’s a permanent distortion that can’t be removed, a layer of confetti on the garment as if you were lying on the floor, or a silhouette print as if you were lying on someone. “It takes a lot of facing flaws and celebrating them,” Martens added.
Build a world that reaches mass consumers
Since joining Diesel in 2020, Martens has become known for large-scale show spectacles, from mountains of condom boxes (FW23) to rave parties for 7,000 people (SS24). This season’s temporary Diesel Museum continues last season’s Easter egg hunt, in which the brand planted Diesel’s transparent Easter eggs throughout the city of Milan for the public to find. The first person to get the egg won various prizes, including a 1DR bag. The first one to reach the final checkpoint wins a customized Diesel appearance.
