Deisel
Diesel began in 1978 when founder Renzo Rosso realised his dream to create clothes standing for individuality, self-expression and passion. Rosso, an Italian fashion designer, was born in 1955, in Brugine, Italy and attended an industrial manufacturing textile school, graduating in 1975. He worked at jeans maker, Moltex as a production manager, but cared more for partying than his job. When he discovered that his boss, Adriano Goldschmied meant to fire him, he saved his job by creating a business plan to increase production and decrease costs. Goldschmied was impressed; Rosso kept his job and eventually was offered a stake in the company. The two launched the Genius Group in 1978, which became the home of several up-and-coming designers, including Katherine Hamnett.The name “Diesel” is reported to have come about as it is pronounced the same in every language.
His vision was to create a brand that was a leader in its field, and wished to design clothes that were more dynamic and imaginative than were available anywhere else. Rosso rejected the slavish trend following of the fashion industry, and, surrounding himself with talented innovative people, he gave his designers broad stylistic freedom with the hope that they would create a line of clothing perfect for those who wished to express their individuality.
In the early 1980’s Rosso began to make his mark on the fashion world with jeans and casual wear. An outlet store was opened in 1982, and 3 years later Rosso took sole control of Diesel, buying out Goldschmied and other Moltex units. Within five years of taking control of Diesel, the firm had reached sales of more than $130 million and was available through retailers in more than three dozen countries. From the very beginning, Diesel's design team turned their backs on the style-dictators and consumer forecasters of the fashion establishment and let their own tastes lead them. It is for this reason that Diesel immediately became a leader in developing styles, fabrics, manufacturing methods and quality control, guaranteeing an outstanding quality product.
As Diesel’s jeans and casual wear gained attention, so did Rosso himself; as an outspoken and flamboyant character. In 1991, he bought an art deco hotel in Miami’s South Beach, giving it a stylish if slightly outrageous makeover. He had the ability to use the media to his advantage, launching controversial advertising campaigns that gave Diesel prominent coverage in the press and picking up both Clio and Cannes Film Festival awards. By 1994 revenues approached $330 million.
Following the launch of Diesel sunglasses in 1994, the company introduced its first fragrance in 1995, a unisex scent eponymously named. In the same year Rosso launched a Diesel website, receiving thousands of hits a day and ensuring the company’s cult status.
The first Diesel store opened in New York in 1996, followed by a store in London. Within two years there were 24 more stores in the top retail areas of the United States. In 1999 Diesel signed with Fossil to produce watches. In 2000 Rosso bought the Italian luxury clothier Staff International, which licensed Vivienne Westwood apparel, and brought in annual sales of $380 million, which it bested in 2001 with $495 million in sales.
In his many years in fashion, Rosso had been called radical, eccentric, and a host of other colourful terms as the maestro behind Diesel's success. He continued to push the limits of the industry with ironic, outrageous advertising in the early 2000s and was rewarded for his efforts with several Italian awards and an honorary MBA from Italy's CUOA Foundation.
In September 2003 Rosso celebrated Diesel's 25th anniversary with characteristic zeal, hosting an enormous party for 25,000 friends in Molvena, Italy. By 2004 Diesel products were sold in more than 75 countries through retailers, luxury department stores, catalogues, and around 200 Diesel stores worldwide. The Diesel name appears on children's clothing, undergarments, jewellery, leather goods, eyewear, fragrances, and footwear. Diesel jeans, however, remain the firm's primary claim to fame.
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