Since he was appointed creative director in 2020, Glenn Martens’ Diesel shows have gotten bigger and better each season. We’ve had a mountain of Durex condoms, Guinness World record-breaking inflatable sculptures and a 7,000-person strong NTS rave. For FW24, the designer set up an ongoing 72-hour long live stream in the build-up to the show, revealing what is usually hidden as the atelier sewed final sequins on garments and Martens finalised his cast of models. Inside the show space, the designer extended the invitation to 1,000 Diesel fans from across the globe via Zoom, broadcasting the call across the walls of the catwalk with lots of little screens showing the faces watching the show in real-time. It was an exaggerated version of a Covid vision we all know far too well.

In true Diesel fashion, denim was at the core of this season’s offering. Trenches were coated, cracked and peeled away at the seams to give the appearance of weathered leather. Jeans were distorted in multiple layers of denim, cut asymmetrically and twisted, intentionally made confusing by Martens who wanted us to do so many double takes that our necks would become totally twisted. Thick, fuzzy knitwear appeared as voluminous coats, hats and hoods, contrasted with the sleek silhouettes of tailored blazers, pleated trousers and collarless vests crafted from supple leather or tartan-printed PVC.

Leopard print and florals came together in a mash-up of texture and pattern, fashioned in flaky chiffon dresses and chunky faux fur overcoats, as oversized co-ords of ultra-cropped jackets and low-slung skirts left midriffs on display. While this season appeared to mark a shift in Diesel’s design language, one thing remained certain: Martens is always thinking about a night out. Panels of transparent fabrics on garments mimicked post-party sweat patches and jersey devore shirts or vests were burnt out as if an intense body heat was taking over, shedding skins as the thumping sound of Senjan Jensen’s techno beat pulsed through its veins.