MILAN — The Diesel store on central San Babila square here has changed its skin once again.
Marking the unveiling of the latest Diesel Living furniture collection, the sprawling space was decked in devorè denim and mirrored walls conveying an immersive world imagined by creative director Glenn Martens.
“Our vision hasn’t changed. With Glenn’s arrival, we’ve taken a new approach, much higher end, much cooler,” said Diesel founder and president of parent company OTB Renzo Rosso. “We do these events where we show these totally crazy things, it becomes like a performance… This place becomes an art gallery. I call it a pop-up, because every two months we showcase the coolest thing from Diesel. So, the store changes its entire décor, it becomes a completely new store every two months.”
Rosso was sitting on a sofa decked in liquid-looking metallic silver leather developed with Moroso, Diesel Living’s longstanding partner for furniture. The D-Scape modular sofa, and matching ottoman and armchair developed by Martnes with Controvento come in different variants upholstered in commercially viable textiles.
Rosso was however adamant to share that the flamboyant silver piece already generated buzz. “People are asking, ‘Can I really buy this?’ We honestly didn’t expect that. It’s beautiful, like a piece of art. The idea is to make something that grabs attention,” he said.
The Diesel Living with Moroso D-Scape sofa system.
Courtesy of Diesel Living
Also new to the interior range is the D-Burned ceiling lamp, developed in partnership with Lodes, which consists of a long, suspended lighting tube draped with dévoré denim through which light can filter.
Since 2018 Diesel expanded the scope of its Living business venturing into real estate developments with 143 apartments in Miami’s arty Wynwood district and 250 in Las Vegas, both in partnership with real estate group Bel-Invest.
Rosso told WWD that a new residential project is to be developed in São Paulo.
“That’s really where the home division can grow, because contract is becoming more and more important. A lot of brands are doing it, but you need a strong brand DNA. I think Diesel has that. It’s a very strong brand,” Rosso said. “We need to get better organized, because doing contract work is very different from the design licensing.”
Asked about tariffs, Rosso concluded that there will be a resolution, and that an agreement will be found among international countries and the U.S.
“I’ll be honest, I was initially very supportive of this President [Donald Trump]….I thought with his different rules, he might actually do well in the U.S., but now I’m reconsidering. He’s creating a lot of confusion,” Rosso said.
“Seventy-one countries have asked for direct dialogue, Italy included. And we’re hoping that our Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has a pretty good relationship with him, will manage — obviously, together with Europe — to negotiate and reverse this new tariff percentage. It’s too much. It’s not good for us, not good for them either. It creates problems on both sides,” Rosso opined.
“I’m very positive about OTB. Our premium brands are positioned at a level where they can absorb price hikes. The beauty of OTB is that we’ve always bet on creativity. We’re confident there, especially with Margiela and Jil Sander,” he said.
The Diesel Living with Lodes D-Burned ceiling lamp.
Courtesy of Diesel Living
Diesel Living segment was first launched in 2008 at the Salone del Mobile as an assortment of fabrics for the home. It then expanded into different categories that include long-term agreements with Moroso for furniture, dating back to 2009; for kitchens and bathrooms with Scavolini since 2012; with Iris Ceramica for tiles and with Berti for wooden floors since 2016, and with Lodes for lighting from 2020. Other collaborations include with Seletti for home accessories, since 2013, and with Mirabello Carrara for home linens since 2016.