Diesel collaborates with competitors for philanthropic cause through Dieseloves

Diesel is spearheading a collective endeavor. Under the Dieseloves initiative, led by creative director Glenn Martens, the denim brand owned by the Italian OTB group is bringing an innovative approach to a new collaboration.

For the first installment of this project, Diesel is teaming up with the American denim brand Lee, one of its direct competitors, to introduce an exclusive capsule collection. The concept is intriguing: both brands pool their unsold stock, and a joint team of creatives from both studios designs pieces that blend elements from both labels.

“Each pair of Dieseloves Lee jeans is constructed from both brands’ respective unsold stock. One half Diesel, one half Lee, the jeans are either Diesel denim on the front and Lee on the back or vice versa. Designed and handcrafted to embrace differences in length and size, each of the 3,000 Dieseloves Lee limited edition jeans is one of a kind.” These pieces, already available in very limited quantities on Diesel’s website, will be available online on both brands’ websites in March, priced between 300 to 350 euros.

Diesel’s initiative, commencing with its partnership alongside Lee, fundamentally reshapes the very essence of collaboration. Moreover, it embodies an optimistic perspective on the utilization of unsold inventory – an aspect worth highlighting due to legal restrictions prohibiting their destruction, thus imposing responsibility on brands for their end-of-life management. In addition to its innovative approach to repurposing branded garments, Dieseloves stands as a testament to charitable endeavors. 

“100% of the profits from Dieseloves will be donated to the UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, via the OTB Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Diesel’s parent company, which collaborates with the UNHCR on various global projects,” explained the brand in a statement. This commitment is particularly noteworthy, as most initiatives of this kind do not donate the entirety of their profits. 

Furthermore, according to the brand, Glenn Martens does not intend to limit collaborations to Lee alone. His vision encompasses persuading several other renowned labels to embrace this fair and equitable production and creation approach. As a result, Dieseloves might spotlight up to three collaborations annually.