Diesel

“Be stupid” Diesel tells us in one of its advertising campaigns.  Provocative phrases like this epitomise the edgy appeal of this phenomenally successful young Italian fashion house, now a world leader in jeans and casual clothing.

Diesel was founded in 1978 by Renzo Rosso and Adriano Goldschmied under the auspices of the Genius Group. In 1985 Renzo Rosso took control of the brand and it is still in his hands today.

From the very beginning, Diesel stood out from the crowd thanks to the ability of its designers to anticipate new trends as well as understand and satisfy the needs of its clients. Customer opinions are vitally important to Diesel, because it isn’t just a fashion brand but a lifestyle choice. It is probably the first and maybe the only fashion company that believes in the concept of the global village. Diesel aims to be an independent brand selling clothes that both innovative and different, the kind of things its customers couldn’t find anywhere else. To that end, Renzo Rosso has surrounded himself with a team of young talent with strong, new ideas which Diesel translates into luxurious, yet totally cool clothes.

In the 30 years since it began, the Italian brand has gradually expanded its target market. It began by producing ready-to-wear collections and the added new collections and then accessories – bags, shoes, eyewear, jewelry, watches, perfumes and even lingerie and beachwear – all produced under special license. Diesel has an enthusiastic following among the young who like to express their personality through their look. The Diesel Group currently has two main lines – Diesel and Diesel Black Gold – a casual-luxury label created in 2007, which sit comfortably alongside the Diesel Kids collection and the Diesel Denim Gallery, which specializes in jeans and denim.

For almost all his career, Renzo Rosso worked with Wilbert Das, who was the creative director of the Italian fashion house until 2009. Das was succeeded by Bruno Collin, French founder of the We Are Different magazine. Their collaboration has turned Diesel into one of the most successful global brands represented in more than 80 countries, with over 300 flagship stores and 5000 additonal stores in Europe, America and Asia. The Italian fashion house’s yearly turnover is an estimated 1.3 billion Euros, the leader in its sector.

Diesel’s philosophy and its casually style and on-trend designs make it a popular label with celebs, among them Britney Spears, Rihanna and Kate Moss. But Diesel is not just an A-list brand. Its wide range of clothing, accessories, bags and shoes are designed to be worn by ordinary people who want to stand out from the crowd. In the streets, in clubs, at work and play, Diesel guarantees you’ll get noticed.

Diesel is well known for its charity initiatives and support for the arts. In recent years, Diesel has helped and supported young talent through training programs and projects such as the Diesel U-Music. This international music project has a full calendar of events that goes from music concerts to awards presentations and radio transmissions, promoting talented young musicians through the Diesel name.

Diesel was the first Italian fashion company to “dress” the world of video gaming. In collaboration with Sony, the Italian brand sells its products on Play Station Home, giving the proceeds to the Diesel charity, the “Only the Brave” Foundation. This is just one of the many initiatives that the Italian brand is involved in, including the Life Ball AIDS charity held in Vienna and the Sundance Film Festival.

Diesel has now got involved with the world of MotoGP, signing a deal with the Italian Ducati team in 2011, with Diesel creating race suits and clothing for the Ducati team, meaning that now the Diesel logo is seen flying around the most famous racetracks in the world.

Thanks to its cosmopolitan world view, its strong connection with its young streetwise customers and its cool and on-trend urban styling, Diesel has become one of the world’s most successful Italian fashion houses and looks set to continue its stellar orbit for the foreseeable future.

Diesel S.p.A.