Since Diesel shared the news that Damiano David, the Italian singer known for his sultry, gender-irreverent style, would become its first-ever male ambassador back in June, much has changed for the Maneskin lead singer and the brand’s own front-man Glenn Martens.
Martens announced his departure from Y/Project in September; he’s now focusing all of his efforts on Diesel (and a just-announced capsule with H&M launching in 2025). David, is redirecting his energy, too, having launched a solo career with a performance at the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in which he debuted a whole new look. The two recently came together to create a capsule collection for Diesel, one that mirrors both of their aesthetics: It’s sexy, cheeky, and designed for a new generation.
If, before the pandemic, the look of Gen Z was nebulous and hard to pin down, nearly five years on, and with the help of talents like David and Martens, it’s completely indexed: The style of today is gender-agnostic, body empowering, rule-breaking, thrown-together, and, most importantly, free.
“It’s about projecting an energy of self-confidence and power and what we call ‘coolness,’” David says. “Charisma is what makes people attractive, sexy, and interesting.” I sat down with David and Martens to discuss the beginnings of their relationship, their shared outlook on fashion and gender, and how they replicated David’s tattoos on a second-skin top. Read on for all that, plus a tip on how to look and feel sexy in one’s own skin. (Or David’s, if the idea of wearing his tattoos turns you on.)
Courtesy of Diesel
Courtesy of Diesel
How did you two first become aware of each other?
Glenn Martens: I’m a bit of a workaholic, as you can imagine, and most often I go to my classics, which in music would be Portishead or Massive Attack, bands from my teenage time. I’m not updated in music, so I didn’t discover Damiano in that manner. I discovered him because he was always wearing Diesel in a very sexy way, and when I got tagged by his fans I was like, who is this guy who is always looking so good? Then I discovered Måneskin, and I realized he is actually quite good and the music is great.
Damiano David: I’ve always been aware of Diesel as a brand. My mom, who is a big fashion mom, freaked out when I told her I was going to be working on this because she has always been a huge fan and she asked me to design something specifically for her, though unfortunately we didn’t. There was a moment last year where basically I was only wearing Diesel, and this was before we started working together, so it was very cool when Diesel reached out.
Courtesy of Diesel
Courtesy of Diesel
Courtesy of Diesel
When did you decide to take Damiano’s ambassadorship to the next level and put together a collection, or was that always the plan?
Martens: When I arrived four years ago there was a lot of work to do. We had to restructure the brand and reconnect with the Diesel DNA and rebuild the brand values. We needed to define the person behind it, so that was the main focus. There was never a moment to actually think of having an ambassador. Then last year the brand felt stabilized, so we started discussing the idea. It was about being diverse, real, and inclusive, and not being gender-specific. Damiano felt like the guy, when I discovered him, that reflected that very free and personal way of living life. He is super talented and, of course, he is very handsome [laughs], but it’s also very much about respect. He embodies so many different people in one, and it’s a very free and loving way of seeing society.
Damiano, I remember when you and Maneskin broke onto the scene; it was not just about the music, which people loved, but also your style. It felt attuned to the moment and representative of where fashion was going. I’m curious about your own style journey. What do you make of your look from when you broke out to today?
David: I’ve always been interested in fashion and clothes, and I always saw it as a way to express myself and make my external image match my internal idea of myself. I want to look cool every single day, and I know it’s a very simple thought, but I really think that that is what fashion is. I want to wear something that, no matter where I go, gives me a confidence and sense of self that I can project to other people. Diesel is the brand that does this best, so I think our collaboration was made in heaven.
Courtesy of Diesel
Courtesy of Diesel
I want to talk about the genderless aspect of the collection. It makes sense based on your look, Damiano, and the way Glenn designs. But I’m curious, why was it important for you to fold that into the collection?
Martens: My approach, which has actually been the same since Y/Project, is that I don’t really design so much according to gender. We very much understand that sometimes the super sexy dresses or corsets will be going for women, but the [majority] of the brand, in my opinion, is something that should be worn by whoever wants to wear it. Of course, not every market is open to that, but we are really trying. I think we have designed, and Damiano will tell you how he feels himself, around what he wanted to wear and how he wished to wear the clothes. It was about what he liked, how he feels comfortable, and he knows exactly what he wants. The collection itself is not about gender; it’s about Damiano, and this is how Damiano dresses. At the end, if it pleases any kind of gender, we are just very happy. That’s really how it should be.
David: As Glenn said, it came naturally. For me, it was important to put myself in it, but also to respect the brand identity. It’s something I’ve always felt very strongly from Diesel, not having a big distinction between the woman and the man. Personally, I shop more often in the women’s section because trousers have better fits and tees have better cuts, stuff like that. It was important for me to also give people the chance to not overthink it, or to wonder if they’re allowed to wear a piece or not.
I have to ask about your tattoos, Damiano, and the decision of putting them in a few pieces of the collection. I’d love to know how you feel about, say, walking down the street and seeing someone wearing your…skin?
David: [laughs] I really think about my tattoos as my first layer of clothes. When I look back at pictures where I was not fully covered in tattoos, I have this weird feeling of feeling kind of naked. I really perceive them as clothing, or almost accessories. It took me 25 years to get to this point, so the idea was that if my tattoos give me a sense of power, we’d give people the chance to experience it without having to go under a needle for 12 hours.
Glenn, I have a feeling that this was your idea…
Martens: Well, we always have a bit of a twist, or something more cheeky [laughs]. We wanted something that felt a bit more personal to him and from him, because he is very loved and we thought to give his fans something even more connected to him. We proposed this as a little joke, and he loved it. It was our way of making it more fun and bubbly next to all those big capes and big suits. We took pictures of him and voila, everybody can have Damiano skin now [laughs].
Courtesy of Diesel
Courtesy of Diesel
Courtesy of Diesel
That’s pretty major. I’m curious to hear both your thoughts on what makes clothes sexy. Is it the person or the product, or both?
David: I think there’s different ways to look at it. There’s different types of sexy. There’s clothes that can be sexy and cover your whole body, too. It’s because clothes have a personality, and if they are well designed and thought out they can have an attitude. What makes clothes sexy, I think, is the attitude; of not giving a fuck, of taking up space and being seen. It’s about projecting an energy of self-confidence and power and what we call “coolness,” which is an impossible thing to explain. Charisma is what makes people attractive, sexy, and interesting. It’s very Diesel, which I think is the best part of the brand.
Martens: Perfect. José, I’m going to ask you to give me the recordings for later so I can write them down. This could be my answer for future interviews! [laughs]. Nothing to add here.
Glenn, is sexiness something you think of when you design or style the collections?
Martens: Damiano said it quite well, but I think it’s definitely about empowerment. We are entering a wave of openness and freedom, and it’s not anymore about the cliche. A man is not anymore the masculine type of cliche from the 1950s of how our parents were, so the borders [of gender] are way more fluid and gray. I think that also means that a lot of people are very much more connected to themselves and more understanding of who they are, because they have that freedom today to actually express themselves without having to fit into society in a certain way. This gives confidence and individuality, and feeling empowered, feeling good in your shoes. Knowing who you are is just something very sexy. And I think that is definitely why I feel maybe men’s fashion is getting more and more sexy.
I know it’s hard to pick a favorite style, but what are your standouts? Or what do you think I should buy from it?
Martens: For me it’s hard to pick a favorite because we did this collection with my favorite stories from the last two years of Diesel. I think, to be honest, and maybe Damiano will say something else, I thought he was very into this coat/cape kimono thing we did. I would say that’s my favorite because it’s what I saw him more excited about, and that’s a true collaboration. It’s coated denim, so it’s painted denim and then baked to feel kind of leathery. I thought it really made Damiano happy, and I think one of the most important things about fashion is to empower people and to make people feel happy.
David: I have two pieces. The big coat that Glenn said, and the big, massive suit. I love the idea of people taking space with our clothes, of being exaggerated and not caring if you take too much room. Again, it’s all about the attitude.
Thank you both!
Martens: Thank you! And José, please send us pictures in your Damiano tattoos.
