Designer Q & A - Diesel
1) Why do you think after 200 years jeans are still one of the most popular items of clothing?
Jeans are one of the only garments that can express the personality of the owner and age with him or her. In addition to our core offerings, Diesel relies on inspiring silhouettes, abrasions, and rip & repaired washes to set our denim apart from other brands. In a mass market where we are flooded with denim brands, values and inspirations are key. A true Diesel customer trusts us, he or she knows what they are buying and understands the innovation, quality, and care that goes into every pair of Diesel jeans. Jeans only get more beautiful and more comfortable over time and denim will continue to be the staple in every wardrobe.
2) Last time I counted there were over 50 brands of premium denim jeans, what makes your jeans stand out from the rest?
Diesel has a variety of flattering fits, innovative treatments and great washes. Our customer has many denim options which set us apart from other brands. Our denim is made in factories in Italy and each pair goes through a 60 wash process. Also our DNA washes are done by hand one by one.
3) Who do you imagine is a typical customer?
As designers at Diesel we almost always imagine our selves as the typical customer, and hope that what we imagine and enjoy personally will please consumers when our collections hit the market.
4) Which style and wash of your jeans are flying out of the shops the quickest at the moment?
Definitely the ‘Larkee’ (men’s regular fit) and ‘Matic’ (women’s skinny straight leg) are certainly popular now in destroyed and bleached washes. The focus for 2009 will be on innovation, without losing site on our core styles and great price points. The opportunity to exploit our Diesel dna is greater than ever and our new washes and fits for 2009 are amazing. Our workwear denim has great treatments and silhouettes and this trend is very important to Diesel’s heritage.
5) Where do you get your inspiration from?
I am constantly travelling the world, looking for something or someone that inspires me.
6) Are there any essential jeans that everyone should have in their
wardrobe?
I don’t think I can tell people what denim to wear, at Diesel we’ve always tried to avoid dictating styles, but instead we offer lots of variety and we hope that people will find one pair that they truly can not live without.
7) What are the first pair of jeans you remember?
When I was 7 I had an unwashed pair of Levis, very stiff but I liked them a lot. I really thought I was cool with those jeans!
8) What have been your favourite pair of jeans that you have owned?
Apart from the vintage ones, the very first pair of Diesel jeans I had remained my favourite for ages.
9) What have been your favorite pair of jeans that you have produced?
Recently its ‘Heeven’ (see above), which is a traditional style but with a comfortable upper and slightly tapered straight leg.
10) How many pairs of jeans do you currently own and which are your favorites?
I must have a hundred pairs of jeans, but lately I stick to three different fits, ‘Thanaz’, a skinny straight leg, the above-mentioned ‘Heeven’, and a comfort worker style.
11) Are you a "wash your jeans after each wear" person or a "wear your jeans for six months before you wash them" person?
Unfortunately I wash my jeans too much because I prefer cleanliness over "perfect aging of denim."
12) Do you own jeans for different occasions (for instance I have work jeans, smart jeans, weekend jeans, holiday jeans, jeans for going to concerts in, jeans for gardening in) if so what have you got?
Fortunately my lifestyle allows me to never having to ‘dress up’ for specific occasions and definitely not for my work, so I am wearing jeans for most occasions.
13) Which is your favorite jeans shop?
I don’t really have a favorite, but I can say I spend more time in vintage markets than shops when doing my own shopping. I feel like this is true for most designers.
14) Which celebrities are currently wearing your jeans?
I don’t follow celebrities wearing Diesel too closely, but I did just see nice pictures of Amy Winehouse and Pete Wentz (see above) wearing Diesel denim and I enjoyed that.
15) How big of an effect does it have on your sales when a celebritiy is seen wearing a pair of your jeans?
I think it has a really strong effect. We noticed when Kate Moss got spotted wearing our Louvely flare jeans (see above) the sales of that model jumped immediately. However, for me beyond commercial consideration it’s a huge complement when celebrities actually visit our stores and buy our product. They have lots of opportunity to wear other brands so it’s a great feeling when they wear Diesel.
16) Who is your current favorite denim icon (male & female). I am thinking the person who has the most denim style?
My style icons are the people surrounding me, the ones who work with me and who I feel have the best taste.
17) Which character (male & female) from a movie had the most denim style?
That’s not particularly important to me so I don’t have a good answer. The truth is I never took my denim inspiration from film - but instead from the streets!
18) Which person living or dead would you most like to see in a pair of your jeans?
I don’t think I want to see any dead people wearing Diesel.
19) And finally, any predictions for denim in 2008
I predict less detailing and more refined treatments!!
| AndyK: 6/08/08 |
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