MILAN FASHION WEEK FALL/WINTER 2026: DAY 1
DIESEL
review by AYA SOFIA OPPENBERG
all images courtesy of DIESEL
It’s time to reframe the ‘Walk of Shame’ into something more… glamorous. After all, why limit your best looks to the dark? Diesel FW26 brings what we usually hide to the forefront with a comically honest edge, with Glenn Martens transforming the Diesel archive into a crime scene where the only offense is having too much fun.
The set is a massive, forensic installation of 50,000 pieces of Diesel memoribilia. Between the sex toys, confetti, and inflatable creatures, the runway feels like a vivid excavation of brand DNA. The collection itself mimics the lived-in texture of clothes plucked straight off a dancefloor, or the swift yet somehow perfectly thrown together outfit stolen from a stranger’s houseparty.
Denim is baked with permanent creases, and fabric treatments make brand-new pieces look beautifully distressed. Martens’ distorted aesthetic reaches a fever pitch; pieces are twisted in ways that feel impossible to "fix." Beside the colorful, eye-catching sprawl, the multi-buckled D-One bag proves that "Successful Living" is about looking glorious; even if you have no idea where you woke up.
MAX ZARA STERCK
review by MAREK BARTEK
“When the body opens from the heart, the centre shifts,” read the invitation of Max Zara Sterck, who became the first Dutch female designer to join the official calendar at Milan Fashion Week. That line encapsulated perfectly the collection’s thesis: form defined not by measurement, but by movement.
Rainbow Obsidian, a volcanic stone associated with protection and emotional depth, appeared hand-set into key looks like modern armour signalling protection without concealment. Signature diagonal cut slice across the torso, drawing tension toward the heart and hip. Asymmetrical openings framed the body with precision, while elastic elements, inspired by Sterck’s background as a competitive gymnast, engineered strong posture rather than just decorate it.
Above all, at Max Zara Sterck, growth and success doesn’t mean compromising of brand’s ethos. Crafted in dead-stock natural fibres and recycled Italian stretch, the message is clear: femininity is forceful, disciplined, and self-possessed.