Diesel has continuously been on the cutting edge of fashion and design. Most recently, it has redefined the traditional fashion show during Milan Fashion Week earlier this month-September 2023. Diesel showcased its Spring/Summer 2024 collection, but the highlight of its fashion show was not so much the garments on display, it was the event itself. Diesel opened its doors and made its fashion show open to the public which in turn had over 5,000 people in attendance. The fashion show both started and ended with a rave and a free three-day film festival. Yes, you read that correctly. Diesel hosted a public rave under the rain for its Milan Fashion Week show and a FREE three-day film festival. This has never been done before and has opened up the eyes of many to consider a more inclusive fashion industry.
While the outside rave fashion show is innovative, Diesel is not a stranger to innovation and journeying into unchartered territories. In 2001, Diesel released a riveting campaign with its fictitious newspaper entitled “The Daily African.” Within this campaign, “The Daily African” newspaper contained headlines reading: “African expedition to explore unknown Europe by foot,” “European developing countries targeted by African tobacco industry,” “AU agrees on financial
aid to Europe,” “Birthrate Booms in Italy and Spain. Europe set back even further.” These are just a few of the numerous headlines from the fictional “The Daily African” newspaper showcased in Diesel’s 2001 campaign. It is important to know that the primary objective of this campaign was to simply advertise Diesel denim jeans.
The 2001 campaign reverses the role of how African relations are depicted within media and imposes the same rhetoric on the European continent. “The Daily African” refers to Europe as a singular place instead of it being a continent filled with multiple countries and cultures. The newspapers refer solely to Europe's hypothetical inadequacies rather than a rich budding infrastructure and diverse cultures. In examining deeper into the hidden context of the articles, it is almost as if we are looking at Europe as though they are a test subject under a microscope or an animal in a zoo enclosure. It also depicts a world where the African continent is a world superpower and Western countries are referred to as developing nations- this concept can be referred to as Afrofuturism.
As we negate from the fictitious newspaper and look into the images themselves, there are embedded elements that speak toward the black experience, candor, prestige, and disassociation from the developing world. The models are all black people who are captured having a good time and enjoying a life of leisure and luxury while living in a continent -Africa- where high quality is the standard of living, however, that is not the case in Europe. While clothed in Diesel’s denim jeans and garments that are form-fitting, some revealing, and others not wearing a shirt at all, the styling choice alludes to the candor aspect of the deliverable. From topless men to physical affection and dancing, Diesel is successful in creating the appearance of a jovial environment. As we look deeper, the “The Club House” scene is a golf and or county club. This shot alone touches on the black experience
of these establishments as they have been known to not be welcoming towards black people -as many are previously and even currently indirectly reserved for white consumers. Not only are the models in this location, but they also frolic about the space which further insinuates the reverse world dominance of Africa and also the concept of black prestige.
In each scene, there is a newspaper article that accompanies it, serving as a juxtaposition of the affluent African lifestyle and the undermining reality of Europe. Diesel created a trailblazing campaign to serve as didactic symbolism during a time-the early 2000’s- when supporting, advocating, and honoring Africa was relatively unheard of. From its early 2001 campaign to its 2023 Milan FashionWeek fashion show, Diesel has not stopped being a trailblazer in incorporating previously unrepresented communities within the fashion industry. As a result, Diesel has established themself as an inclusive pioneer brand.
More Diesel 2001 “The Daily African” Campaign Images
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