While he tuned in over Teams from Paris on Friday, flocks of fans gathered outside the flagship as the newly appointed ambassador and K-pop star Hoshi did the honors and celebrated. The space adds to Diesel’s first freestanding store opened in Seoul’s Hannam neighborhood in 2022 and second outpost revealed earlier this year at the Luxury Hall West of the Galleria department store.
“Diesel is definitely a brand made history for its amazing advertisement. the first to challenge the advertising world out of the classic context of beauty and fashion, and they really were more about the lifestyle and statements,” Martens said. “So linked to the whole advertising heydays, we have all over the store big billboards in different rooms. It’s Route 66 kind of style, with big metal boards as those you see on highways….
Asked about the archival ad that had the biggest impact on him, the designer mentioned the Diesel spring 1995 campaign photographed by David LaChapelle that portrays a gay couple kissing in front of a sailboat. “I was 11 or 12 and for me that was quite groundbreaking because obviously in the small, little provincial town of Bruges, where everything was very standard and Catholic still in the ‘90s and very closed down, suddenly seeing a gay couple….
“Opening up big stores like this one is a celebration — and not just for one weekend, it’s going to last for a few months. The capsule will come soon and events will happen and I’ll personally go back because I love Seoul so much,” Martens said. “I’ve only been once in my life….It’s one of the most fun cities ever: people are so nice, so open-minded and friendly. I was so happily surprised when I was there,” he continued, mentioning a trip two years ago.