Diesel recently showcased the Spring/Summer 2011 collections at an evening event that displayed wares from all of their lines: Diesel, Diesel Black Gold and DSL55. As I did my usual routine, perusing the racks, snapping photos and taking notes, all while sipping on a glass of vino, I realized that there was so much to see and so much to talk about that I wouldn't be able to cover it all in one post. So the logical solution was to split them into three, which quite honestly, I should have known from the beginning. Must have been the vino.
When I walked in, I made a beeline to the collection that grabbed my attention first, which happened to be the brand's high end line, Diesel Black Gold. Ever since Sophia Kokosalaki took over as Creative Director I've noticed, intentional or not, a focus on textures. Last season it was notable in womenswear but this season it was most evident in menswear. If you were to close your eyes and run your fingers through the garments, you would notice an assortment of tactile sensations like papery textures, gritty textures, stiff, crinkly fabrics and ubersoft, heavily brushed surfaces mixed in with the easily identifiable textures of soft knits, smooth wovens and well-worn denim. But while textures stimulate our sense of touch it's the sense of sight that matters most.
For menswear I went from one interesting item to the next and found it difficult to pick a favorite. There were a few indigo-dyed pieces, abraded for good measure, but they were often overshadowed by more exciting items such as the white denim jean constructed with an uneven ripstop complete with white paint spatters. There were also jeans of a deep rich gold that were strategically "sullied" for lack of a better word and very wearable. This sullied look was seen often throughout menswear. Like in a pair of dark green, resin coated jeans that had been washed down and abraded or in the t-shirts, jackets and hoodies sprinkled throughout the racks.
Womenswear went in a different direction than menswear with less focus on texture, but an inclusion of some interesting prints in dresses and blouses. A particular favorite of mine were the large bleeding, black and teal stripes on a sweater knit tank and blouse. Beading work on the shoulders of a denim jumper dress gave it the glam treatment. An oversized denim shirt made of large pieces of tonal, indigo denim stood out in the rack with the look somewhat duplicated on a pair of skinny jeans just below the knee. There was also one particular item that I loved, but my camera couldn't pick up the effect properly which was a black print over black jeans which I found both subtle and beautiful.
