By Dana Talantbekova
At Milan Fashion Week, Diesel and creative director Glenn Martens once again proved that the brand thrives on spectacle and disruption. For Spring/Summer 2026, Martens abandoned the traditional catwalk in favor of a city-wide “Easter egg hunt.” More than 5,000 people signed up online to track down transparent capsules scattered across Milan, each containing a model in full Diesel looks. From landmark piazzas to underground clubs, even mechanic shops and bingo halls, the collection appeared everywhere at once, democratizing fashion in a way few luxury brands would dare. “Everybody gets to be on the front row,” Martens declared, and for a few electric hours, the city itself was his runway.
Deconstruction, Distortion, and Diesel DNA
The collection unfolded as a masterclass in Diesel’s codes of raw beauty and irreverence. A recurring theme was destruction-as-creation: satin denim, engineered from recycled polyester, was lasered to appear cracked and worn, while double-layered pieces split open to reveal sculptural inner forms. Patchwork tailoring and biker straps wrapped the body like restraints waiting to be undone. Martens riffed on animal patterns, florals, and trompe l’oeil prints, creating garments that looked as though they were mutating under the audience’s gaze.
Among the highlights, a militaristic trench distorted in olive satin was paired with a corroded tie-dye skirt and acid-yellow collar, glowing inside its capsule like warning lights from another world (Look 20). Elsewhere, a patch-worked coat, splattered in pink and blue, layered over denim separates like urban graffiti turned into couture (Look 44). The most decadent statement came in distressed leather, a jacket and trousers scorched in brown and gold, accessorized with square shades and a skeleton-printed bag, grunge sharpened into luxury (Look 22).
Diesel Spring/Summer 2026: Looks 20, 22, 44 (Images courtesy of Diesel)
At Diesel’s headquarters on Via Stendhal 36, a press preview offered a glimpse of models encased in egg-shaped vessels, but the real show was never meant for an exclusive few. By unleashing thirty-four capsules across the city and drawing thousands into the hunt, Diesel erased the velvet rope. Sidewalks became runways, bingo halls doubled as show venues, and Milan itself transformed into the audience. In a season where many houses leaned on celebrity spectacle, Martens doubled down on Diesel’s promise of access: the people of Milan were the front row.
Diesel Spring/Summer 2026: Looks 35, 49, 55 (Images courtesy of Diesel)
By scattering its SS26 collection across Milan, Diesel turned the act of watching fashion into an act of participation. It was not just about seeing clothes; it was about chasing them, hunting them, owning a piece of the story. With prizes ranging from full denim looks to custom-tailored outfits delivered by Christmas, Martens made the game literal, but the bigger prize was symbolic. Diesel showed that luxury can be inclusive, rebellious, and even playful. In Martens’s words: “Follow the rules, then break them. For Successful Living.”