Glenn Martens has always taken the unexpected path. Even before arriving at Diesel in 2020, the Belgian designer avoided the typical routes in fashion, preferring to twist references and push them into disruptive territory. He is also the creative director at Maison Margiela, where his first haute couture collection debuted this past June in a show that was as disruptive as it was theatrical — a spirit we can clearly recognise again in Milan with Diesel’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection.
For his latest presentation, Martens turned Milan itself into the stage. Instead of a runway, the creative director launched a ‘Diesel egg hunt’, scattering giant transparent eggs across the city. Inside, models stood wearing the new collection while rain poured over the shells. The water streaking down the plastic wasn’t planned, but it gave the whole event a raw, dramatic atmosphere that matched Diesel’s visual identity perfectly. As Martens put it, “It’s not like your classic catwalk in the city. We found so many spots downtown which kind of reflect what Diesel stands for… It’s part of the idea that every single person in the world can be Diesel.”
The clothes themselves pushed Diesel’s codes further. Denim came in shiny, satin-like finishes but was still cut to feel distressed and worn. Skirts and dresses wrapped around the body with thick straps, while layered tops revealed unexpected flashes of pattern. Outerwear carried heavy treatments, from laser burns to cracked textures, balancing industrial toughness with moments of colour such as lime, lavender, or faded blue. The accessories, from big leather bags to oversized chains and sharp sunglasses, tied everything together and made the collection unmistakably Diesel.
The egg hunt ended up being the most radical move of the night. Close to five thousand people joined to search for the eggs spread across Milan, placed not only in central piazzas but also in bars, sex shops, bingo halls, and smaller downtown spaces. The variety of locations showed how carefully planned the concept was, and how it wasn’t about the obvious landmarks, but about mapping the city in a way that reflects Diesel’s raw and urban identity.
With Spring/Summer 2026, Diesel once again proved that under Martens, it refuses to play safe. It’s fashion made to be disruptive, public, and Milan, drenched in rain, became the proof.
