Trials & Tributes

Today we announce a special Diesel takeover in celebration of Nicola Formichetti’s new role as artistic director and his newly launched Tribute collection. From exclusive mixtapes to behind the scenes footage from Nick Knight’s campaign shoot, we’re exploring all things Diesel, denim and DIY – rounding it off with an exclusive Dazed Diesel party next week

Acrid smoke billows about a tattooed woman in Diesel stamped clothing, while illustrative cut outs peel across another, revealing her dark denim jacket and the bottle caps worn round her neck. In these glitchy GIFs by the GIF artist collective, 15 Folds, Diesel’s Reboot Tribute collection simmers under an anarchic mood of DIY and heritage denim spirit.

The bespoke 15 Folds artworks kick off the Dazed Diesel takeover this week, celebrating Nicola Formichetti’s first Diesel Reboot project as artistic director, the Tribute Collection. The stitched rock patches, moto club images and worn denim of the capsule collection pay loyal homage to the rock and denim DNA of the Diesel brand. Delving into the previously untapped brand archive in Italy, Nicola drew on iconic pieces, details and Diesel craftsmanship from its thirty-five year history, spanning several important decades of denim. The result is a two-part collection of denim and leather, with the denim Diesel Tribute Collection dropping first this month.

Each piece, including western-inspired shirts and leather-edged jackets, is cut and assembled entirely by hand; the surface anarchic aesthetic is in fact, one of slow, considered and luxury process. It takes one day to complete just three Tribute pieces.

From heritage craftsmanship and bygone DIY ideals, to the speed and constant rejuvenation of the online social world: Nicola Formichetti has crafted the Tribute collection campaign to be shared entirely online. The revolutionary concept was realised with the help of Nick Knight and shot solely on an iPhone. Glitches and filters project the mood of the collection across Insta-videos, Instagram shots and GIFs – images that were then distorted and redesigned here by 15 Folds for Dazed.

Create your own Diesel Reboot GIFs with these images and win the chance to join us at an exclusive Dazed x Diesel event. Simply upload to Tumblr with the hashtag #DIESELTRIBUTE #DAZEDCOMP and we will feature the best on our social media channels.