Thursday marked exactly one year to the day since Nicola Formichetti took over at Diesel, and that was all the excuse Renzo Rosso, who founded the brand thirty-five years ago, needed to throw a party. He flew three hundred people from all over the world to Venice. "My town, the most beautiful place in the world," Rosso enthused. After an Aperol-fueled gondola ride down the Grand Canal, only a churl could disagree with him.
But before the party—and the after-party at the Palazzo Grassi, which saw the hardiest revelers reeling into a gray Venetian dawn this morning—there was a huge fashion show to clarify how far Diesel has come under Formichetti…and where it might be going. The denim, the leather, the military/utility looks have been pillars of the Diesel aesthetic for decades. "But what makes it unique," Formichetti said before the show, "is that it s not street, it s not luxury, it s a hybrid, a new breed of alternative-spirited brand." Which kind of describes Formichetti s own work over the years, first as a stylist for magazines, then as a creative director for the likes of Uniqlo, Mugler, and Lady Gaga.
The many facets of Formichetti were all over the Diesel show. "Any crazy idea I come up with, Renzo says, You can do better than that, " the designer said with his insanely infectious giggle. So we saw power pop looks; digital backdrops by longtime collaborator Nick Knight; Brooke Candy on the catwalk; a Tumblr-enabled model casting; clothes customized and glamorized to individual taste; and an overall feeling of inclusiveness, which is something the designer has deliberately cultivated with his social media presence. "There s no difference between the digital and physical world for these kids," Formichetti mused. "They re a new species, indigo children. I find them through Tumblr. They re everywhere, but they don t know about each other till I connect them. That s what I am, a connector."
His connections have inevitably led to some social/political subtexts in his work—LGBT models, a Pussy Riot-inspired finale—but that only makes Formichetti a better match for Rosso, who s no stranger to controversy himself. Last night was more than a mutual admiration society, it was a virtual lovefest. "I want to be just like Renzo when I m older," said Formichetti. And Rosso is going to make it easy for him. "He said he s giving me the keys to the kingdom for the next thirty-five years," the designer added.
