DIESEL SS26 EGG HUNT: FASHION FOR THE PEOPLE IN MILAN

A treasure hunt for fashion

In New York, mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani had already mobilized 2,000 people with his “Zcavenger Hunt.” Glenn Martens, creative director of Diesel, took the idea to Milan with an equally unconventional event: the Diesel Egg Hunt. More than 3,000 pre-registered participants set off on a hunt across the city, turning Milan into a giant playground.

Fashion for the public

The goal was clear: make fashion accessible to everyone and bypass the usual elite of runway shows. “This is Diesel for the people, a collection discovered by the public at the same time as everyone else,” Martens said. For once, journalists, buyers, and influencers didn’t have first access. The designer chose to unveil his collection on the streets rather than on a closed runway.

The rules of the game

Practically, 55 models were placed inside 34 oval-shaped display cases, nicknamed “eggs,” scattered throughout Milan with the support of the city council. Each “egg” featured a QR code. The first five participants to find them all won a full look of their choice, the next five won a denim look, and ten more received an accessory. For those who didn’t want to hunt, a party was organized at Piazza Beccaria with a concert and free drinks.

A reflective pause in the calendar

Juggling duties between Diesel and Maison Margiela, Martens found in this concept an alternative to the traditional runway show. It was a season-long pause in an already packed schedule of shows. Whether the experience will leave a lasting mark remains to be seen, as the event was still ongoing at the time of writing.

A wild and technical collection

Despite the democratic approach, Martens did share the collection in advance with a few influential media outlets. Key pieces included a new fabric combining denim and recycled poly-satin, crafted into iridescent dresses and biker-inspired coats.

Women’s bicolor material jumpsuits appeared ripped at the crotch, held together by mesh panels. Floral dresses emerged from layers of frayed chiffon. Tailoring, sculpted in double protective neoprene, sometimes revealed “X-ray” patterns through a bleaching process that left raw contours on the surface.

The inner animal

These experiments brought to life the theme Martens assigned to his team: “the animal within.” Wild in shape, radical in presentation, the Diesel Egg Hunt marks another bold statement from Martens, who is constantly pushing the boundaries of contemporary fashion.

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