I have a whole new respect for Diesel. Personally, this company's jeans are not the kind of denim I gravitate towards. When I think of Diesel, young attractive bridge and tunnel boys and girls come to mind- partying in their mall wear somewhere on the lower west side on a Saturday night. However it seems that Diesel's Maestro Renzo Rosso is parlaying some of that denim fortune into acquiring the world's leading designer labels- most recently with his purchase of controlling shares of Viktor & Rolf. "Only the brave appeal to us" is Rosso's motto and, with existing shares in houses like Maison Martin Margiela, Dsquared2, and Sophia Kokosalaki, one can see Rosso is a man of his word.

In a time where commercialism seems to be winning the war in fashion, it's a relief to see that some of the big dogs recognize a need for auteurism- regardless of their profit margins. I would, however, keep a close eye on these lines to see if any stream-lining takes place in terms of art direction, advertising, production or distribution. As much as I would like to paint Mr Rosso as a saviour, I fear this is the kind of man who built an empire not solely on good intentions.

Posted by ADRIAN MAINELLA