BEIJING — Shanghai’s rainstorms paid no regard to whether Diesel had planned its “Hate Couture” party. On Thursday evening, the downpour continued as a capsule collection designed by South Korean actor Yoo Ah-in was shown on a grassy outdoor runway, feting of the launch of the Diesel store on Tmall.
A fleet of clear umbrellas were at the ready at the venue for the night, the historic Taiyuan Villa. Coiffed hair and carefully styled outfits on guests turned soggy, but smiles and laughs also erupted in the front row. If anything, the night — which was all about reclaiming negativity and turning it into something positive, per their recent campaign — worked a little bit better because of it.
“Sitting in the rain and enjoying the show despite the difficult conditions. I’m not sure that it could have been the same in the western world,” said Giovanni Pungetti, greater China chief executive officer of OTB Group, which owns Diesel and the likes of Marni and Maison Martin Margiela.
“With other brands, they would have maybe a different reaction,” he added, but the Italian label has always had a bit of grittiness about it, a bit of rebel — “a wet rock and roll.”
While some
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