Gabriel-Kane Day-Lewis, the Paris-based model and performer, was sitting front row at today’s Diesel Black Gold show. Sporting countless tattoos and a punkish, heavily graffitied black leather biker jacket, he was a perfect poster boy for the label. “When I was a kid, my mom used to buy me Diesel’s T-shirts and belts with Only the Brave’s Mohican logo. I loved its mohawk haircut,” he said. The mum in question is the French actress Isabelle Adjani, whose porcelain complexion and periwinkle eyes still leave you breathless; as for his father, Daniel Day-Lewis, his talent borders on the miraculous. Gabriel-Kane certainly doesn’t lack abundant doses of good genes.
The feel of being part of a tribe is a sort of core value for Diesel, together with a spirit of inclusiveness and the sense of exploration and adventure. For Fall, creative director Andreas Melbostad tapped into this multiethnic background; the bohemian, folksy flair was filtered through the urban attitude that Diesel stands for, infused with a strong posture and stylishly streamlined.
“We riffed on sorts of multicultural references here, rebooted with a free spirit,” Melbostad said backstage. “Peru, Iceland, Africa, Eastern Europe, Navajos, Morocco, Eskimos, Afghanistan, India, you name it!” Renzo Rosso, president of the OTB, chimed in: “We delved into my personal archive, which is a treasure trove of all the finds I collected from my travels during my youth in the ’80s, like the Moroccan carpets that I used to patchwork into my collections,” he said. “It’s a celebration of multiculturalism and of a collaborative ethos.”
Melbostad worked on visually rich patterns and motifs, giving them a contemporary, almost abstract spin. Though there were many embellishments and embroideries, it didn’t feel heavy-handed; his take is always quite minimal. This approach was apparent in the men’s silhouettes, which were layered yet lean to counterbalance the decorative surfaces of biker jackets, bombers, and denim pants. Mexican and Peruvian sweaters were cut into slender tunics, worn under military peacoats or patchwork shearlings.
For the women’s part of the collection, the same references were turned into more feminine, delicate embellishments, while the silhouette was kept slightly more fluid and romantic. A long cotton peasant dress embroidered with Romanian-inspired cross-stitching stood out, as did a series of flared, slim-fitting pants referencing Nuristani styles. Even if the bevy of geographic references could’ve been distracting or too eclectic, they were blended quite seamlessly into a fluid, appealing lineup. It all looked cool and collected.
