Diesel’s Spring Summer 2026 collection broke away from traditional runway codes, staging what Glenn Martens called the “biggest democratic act yet.” Instead of a closed venue, Milan itself became the stage. Fifty-five looks appeared across the city in transparent, egg-shaped capsules as part of the Diesel Egg Hunt, inviting the public to experience the collection in real time. It was a subversive, participatory gesture that turned the act of viewing fashion into a collective game.
SPRING SUMMER 2026
The collection delivered Martens’ signature mix of disruption and wearability, pushing Diesel’s vocabulary of denim, tailoring, and utility further into experimental territory. Satin denim, developed from recycled polyester, took center stage in vivid tones. It appeared as apron dresses, sleeveless bikers, and coats with biker strap deconstructions, each lasered to achieve distressed effects. The treatment emphasized texture while underlining Diesel’s interest in more responsible material innovation.
Elsewhere, tailoring collided with biker elements. Jackets sprouted straps at the lapels, creating pieces that could be tied in multiple ways. Mini dresses looked wrapped directly onto the body, held precariously by bands and straps, while knitwear introduced ties and cocoon neoprene sleeves. Diesel’s irreverence showed in rough-edged leather skirts, cut like animal hides, and mini-dresses printed with imagined skins of creatures that never existed.
Trompe l’oeil techniques gave knit jumpsuits and dresses the appearance of multiple garments stitched together with deliberate gaps. Florals appeared as faded prints clashing with vivid knits, or in chiffon dresses crowned by shredded fabric clouds at the shoulders. Double-layer constructions played with proportion, with oversized interior panels spilling beyond tighter outer shells. Denim underwent some of its most radical experimentation yet, bleached from the inside out to resemble X-rays of garments.
Accessories carried the same playful ethos. The new Load-D bag slouched with softness, while the structured denim D-Pods bag displayed four molded Ds. The Flag-D bag transformed into three layered zip-up leather designs. Footwear included mules with floating Ds, strappy heels with metallic toe accents, and loafers on thick track soles. Jewelry evoked skeletal forms with vertebrae-like cuffs and necklaces, paired with crystal-encrusted Vert watches and oversized acetate eyewear.
For Martens, Diesel SS26 was fashion as game: a collection that blurred boundaries between spectacle and street, experimental design and democratic access. In Milan, everyone had a front row seat.
