Diesel's Best Runway Moments at 2023 Milan Fall/Winter Fashion Week

Returning to 2023 Milan Fashion Week, Glenn Martens amps up on the sultry and the street-suave with his latest Diesel F/W23 collection. Expect no less from this label of brash individualism and edged sexiness. From the collection’s grand statement promoting smart protection, to unexpected guests who are not all they seem, here were the best bits from the Diesel F/W23 Milan show.

Safe is Sexy

One upping the behemoth inflatables – the world’s largest, in fact - from last year’s Diesel F/W22 show, Martens went ‘D’ first and welcomed guests with a mountain of 200,000 Durex condom boxes, teased through the show’s invitations that were essentially condom packets branded with the signature Diesel logo. Partnering up with the contraception brand, Diesel is staking their stance loud and proud to herald sex positivity and safe, healthy sexual practices. The brand has also announced that up to 300,000 Durex condoms will be given out, free of charge, at select Diesel stores around the world beginning April.

“Sex positivity is something amazing. We like to play at Diesel, and we are serious about it. Have fun, respect each other, be safe. For Sucsexful Living!” Martens stated in a press release.

“It makes me want a hot dog real bad…”

It had to be said that one of the front-row guests might have unfortunately been responsible for causing a number of attendees to suffer from violent whiplash. First arriving to the red-carpet shimmying in a head-to-toe Diesel fit streaked with metallics, ‘Jennifer Coolidge’ was seen then shifted into her character Tanya’s signature floral dress before taking the spot between her White Lotus co-star Haley Lu Richardson and musician Orville Peck. Yet the biggest bombshell moment of all was, in fact, the reveal that this guest was not Jennifer Coolidge.

Donning the disguise is illusion makeup artist Elliot Joseph Rentz, known famously as Alexis Stone under her drag queen moniker, who has been known to attend events dressed as other celebrities and fictional characters. Just last year, she had made all the rounds on Fashion news outlets for strutting up to the Balenciaga S/S23 show as Dolly Parton. As much as one could hope for a Diesel x Jennifer Coolidge campaign, this eerily realistic debut had undoubtedly rocked the show (before it even started).

Looks for Sucsexful Living

Describing the F/W23 collection as “more condensed and concentrated, more grown up, fun and strong and playful, ” Martens has brought the fundamentals of Diesel to an elevated playing field. Distressed denim and Diesel logo-forward designs endure still, with greater experimentation into leather printing and dyeing, waxed coats, and creative textures achieved through upcycling.

There was a slight interplay between street style and classic ‘workwear’ silhouettes. Staples like hoodies, baggy jeans, basketball shorts, and sneakers were maximally distorted through graphic printing and dimensional cuts. Whilst pinstriped sets made an appearance alongside tapered ankle length dresses and a handful of pencil skirts.

Perhaps referencing the male contraceptives officially associated with the collection, there were a strong turnout of pieces that played with being ‘sheer,’ combining the see-through epidermal fabric with applications like shredding or integrating them into denim.

See the collection in full by clicking here