Episode 1: All Aboard

Our host begins the journey with a deep dive into three of the brand’s tenets — creativity, history and research and protocol.

Glenn Martens, Creative Director, seamlessly incorporates more responsible denim into Diesel’s sexy, modern, expressive designs.

Andrea Rosso, Sustainability Ambassador is responsible for getting everyone in the company on board with its mission to create more responsible future.

Sara Betteghella, OTB Chief Sustainability Officer, is tasked with developing the sustainability strategy and ensuring that all departments are working towards achieving the ambitious social and environmental goals.

Men's Responsible Jeans

Women's Responsible Jeans

Behind the Denim

The Sustainability Deep Dive

Diesel introduces a mini documentary series devoted to demystifying its more responsible denim practices. A deep dive on Diesel’s commitment to creating lower-impact denim.

Join our intrepid host Lea Ogunlami embarking on an all out journey from farm to factory to the customer’s closet.

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Transcript

Hi, it's Lea. We're here in Milan, on the road to the Diesel showroom. I'm going for an all‑out immersion into the world of Diesel denim — and you get to come with me. C’mon! Believe it or not, I am no sustainability expert, but I will be at the end of this. We're going to a laundry, a farm, a factory. I'm going to talk to customers. I'm going to do everything to really get under the skin of the brand. First up, we've got some quick‑fire questions for the people in charge. C’mon!

Glenn Martens – Creative Director

Lea: Glenn Martens, the man behind the magic.I am sorry I'm late on my first day.

Glenn: Welcome to Diesel!

Lea: Thank you for having me.I've made myself slightly comfortable.Diesel is all about being sexy, no? Is sustainability sexy?

Glenn: I mean, the most important thing is: what is sexy on a dead planet?So the whole idea is to have low‑impact products.

Lea: How do your designs reflect that?

Glenn: There is no such thing as a fully sustainable product.But we’re proud to say that we went from 3% to more than 50% of denim made out of organic, recycled and regenerative cotton.

Lea: Your shows are very trend‑led and super out‑there.Does sustainability come into consideration for the shows too?

Glenn: We're a fashion brand. Fashion is about making people feel happy and empowered.That doesn't mean we have to do it on the back of something bad.For example, you're wearing Rehab Denim.I'm sure you wouldn't buy this dress because it's recycled — you buy it because it's sexy and beautiful.But we can still have a soft message.You can still slay in a recycled outfit.

Lea: Okay, I love to hear that! Thank you so much.

Andrea Rosso – Sustainability Ambassador

Lea: We're off to see Andrea, our Sustainability Ambassador — whose dad founded Diesel. Andrea, hi!

Andrea: Hey, ciao Lea.Ambassador of Sustainability… it sounds a tiny bit made up, I know!But it's fair. I've worked in so many parts of Diesel, so I know the culture of the brand.My job is to embrace this sustainability mindset inside the company.

Lea: Do people listen more because of the family name?

Andrea: It helps to get people on board.But in the end, I care about what I do, and people feel that.

Lea: Can you give me an example of how things have changed?

Andrea: We work with partners who use technologies and protocols to be more secure in water and chemical consumption.

Lea: So it’s about working step by step through the process and seeing how things can become more sustainable?

Andrea: Exactly.Since we’re known for distressing denim, we also have a big responsibility.You need to distress in a way that does not distress the planet.

Lea: A clean dirtiness?

Andrea: Yes — clean dirtiness.

Sara – Chief Sustainability Officer

Lea: We're going to see Sara, our Chief Sustainability Officer. Let's go! We're here talking about sustainability, and I'm terrified.

Sara: You're not the only one. I used to be a lawyer. Then I got into sustainability through my legal work. Now I work with all departments to ensure we meet our environmental and social goals. But sustainability is not something only lawyers or scientists should talk about.

Lea: Okay, well, because I'm neither…What does sustainability mean, in layman’s terms, for Diesel?

Sara: We start from raw material harvesting. Then we look at processes requiring energy, water, chemicals — many aspects to consider to diminish impact at each stage of denim production.

Lea: There’s a word I keep hearing: circularity. What does it mean?

Sara: Circularity means finding solutions to reduce impact across the entire lifetime of a garment. Reuse, repair, resale, recycling.

Lea: So, basically, lifetime jeans.

Sara: Yeah, basically. It requires a lot of time and testing to embed this into the business.

Lea: If everyone commits, small drops could make a lake — not an ocean.

Sara: Yes, we need to make lakes!

Lea: I'm on a journey.