Diesel Opens Miami Swim Fashion Week

Heading to Florida? If so, you’re in for a treat. With Miami’s Swim Fashion Week only days away, the city is already heating up and we found the best place to cool off. To kick start the festivities, Diesel will be hosting the opening party on Friday, July 16th from 8PM to Midnight at the W Hotel Pool. Get there early because we hear they are treating attendees with a runway presentation around 9PM. Miami, pool party, Diesel… need we say more?

-- JOE REILLY

Quickies: Margiela Without Martin, Milan Fashion Week to Relocate? Conde Layoffs, +

Diesel CEO Renzo Rosso confirmed that Martin Margiela has in fact been out of the Maison for quite a while now. [Vogue UK]

Milan Fashion Week might relocate to Rome because, ya know, Milan is kind of gross. [WWD]

Heads continue to roll at Conde...[Gawker] 

The military has their own licensed brand of fragrances called American Line. So far there are five scents for men and a women's line is in the works. [Now Smell This] 

Domenico Dolce bought two penthouses for $29M on 11th Avenue in NYC. Clearly "recession" doesn't translate to Italian. [Page Six]

Diesel: Got (Taxidermic) Bear?

Photo: copyranter.com

Thanks to copyranter, Diesel's new three piece billboard at the intersection of Houston and Crosby Streets in NYC is stirring quite the buzz. Sexual provocation with none other than a bear? Hm, I wonder what all the fuss is about? But, bear in mind Diesel's history for palpably sexual and queer advertisements (although, of course, suggestive bestiality in the literal context crosses the line of common decency).

We all know that this bear is the representation of Bears in the gay subculture but nice try -- nubile boys and Bears usually don't mix. Will the shock of this ad compel some to drop cash at the nearest Diesel? That remains to be seen.

-- Francis Bea

Diesel Radio hits the airwaves

One exceptional thing about the Diesel shopping experience is the amazing music they tend to blast throughout their stores that goes along with their signature rocker-edgy look. Though, many times, shoppers are at a loss when it comes to either naming the artist or having access to the tune. Well, thankfully, Diesel is giving its patrons the opportunity to have full access to their stores'  music as the Diesel Planet store on 5th avenue in NYC turns into a functioning radio station from July20-25th. Set up in the storefront window throughout the week will be a melee of DJs spinning their beats, and the store will also play host to over 10 live performances (two per day) including Zoe Kravitz, Von Haze and Sean Bones. The radio station, entire roster of DJs, and performers are available at the Diesel: U: Music website. 

Diesel Dines Out

It was only a short time ago that Diesel introduced their first furniture line, another move towards developing a lifestyle brand. Now comes the introduction of Diesel's first restaurant, Circle. The eatery is located in the Milan Diesel headquarters and comes from Diesel CEO Renzo Rosso's " brand vision to create an innovative concept of working environment where, apart from your job, you can have fun experiencing an entertainment and lounge to mix and mingle with chic locals living and working in Milan."

While the restaurant itself is run by a well-known team of the Milanese culinariatti, the Diesel creative team was obviously behind the design and decoration of the restaurant, which shows heavy detail of Diesel style -- a wooden bar with rod-iron runs, exposed brick contrasted by velvet curtains, vintage tables with mismatched chairs. It's cozy and stylish, and there's also a lounge you can slink off to after dinner, grab a drink, and get lost in the sounds of the in-house DJ until the wee hours of the European morning. 

-- Seth Plattner

Quickies: Roberto Cavalli's New Website, Madonna's Photoshopping, +

Roberto Cavalli still doesn't know if he will sell his company. But he's got a shiny new website! [The Cut] via [WWD]

Madonna before Photoshop. Yikes. [World of Wonder] 

Comme des Garcon designer Rei Kawakubo is collaborating with Japanese Vogue on a pop-up shop. It will open from the end of May until fall and is said to be like a "magazine you can walk into." Featured designers and artists to participate in the collections are Takashi Murakami, Chanel, Fendi, Loewe, Martin Margiela and Walter Van Beirendonck. [WWD]

Men's stores are offering alcohol to shoppers to make them stay longer and buy stuff. Awesome. [WSJ]

Common is the face of Diesel's new scent, Only the Brave. He'll perform in Spain, Los Angeles, Paris, and New York to celebrate the scent. [WWD]

Top Shop opened yesterday. It was a madhouse, as reported here, here and here. 

Two tween brothers have started their own fragrance company. Their first fragrance is a cologne they made "to smell like sunshine" so they wouldn't forget Hawaii after they moved to the mainland. Too cute to stand. [Style List] 

Diesel to launch furniture line

Photo courtesy of Diesel

The Diesel Planet shows no signs of slowing down their expansion, economy be damned. Just announced are their plans to expand their home collection with a furniture line being licensed with Foscarini for lamps and Moroso for furniture. The new pieces will be presented in Milan during the international furniture and design exhibition, the Salone Internazionale del Mobile, in April with a roll-out in the U.S. and Eurpoe late in the year. 

With all they're including in the line, one could easily fashion an entire Diesel-clad pad: sofas, chairs, armchairs, tables, stools, dressers and mirrors all adorned with -- as expected -- rock n' roll accessories like rivets and buckles. Sounds kind of kinky, no? Furthermore, many of the pieces will be changeable with just the addition of a new slip of fabric -- how Pottery Barn of them! -- an idea Diesel chief Renzo Rosso hopes will allow consumers to "express yourself, just as you do with clothes." He continues:

"This is one of the most elaborate and most thought-out projects that has taken more than five years to see the light. I want to revolutionize the furniture industry, and bring the fast pace of fashion to it."

Surely many of these pieces will show up in the Diesel operated hotel, The Pelican, in Miami, and also in the hotels that will likely pop up in Milan and New York in the near future. But, if you'd rather own your own piece of Diesel, expect lamps to retail from 4256 to $897, sofas, $384 to $5,125, all with interchangeable pieces that start at around $40. Rock on.

-- SETH PLATTNER

Quickies: The gays outdress Kanye, Girogio Armani starts blogging and more

Photo: Getty Images

Giorgio Armani is blogging for The Times. His first post is an account of his time in New York, including where he eats and how he can't sleep properly in America. Riveting. [The Moment] 

In other Armani news, he's donating $1M to New York City Schools. Poor blogging skills aside, we're impressed. [WWD]

Kanye West does not, in fact, think he dresses better than gay people. Or Michael Jackson. Or Stefano Pilati. Or Ralph Lauren. An unusual show of humility from Mr. West at last. [The Cut] 

Overheard this week at New York Fashion Week: "The models need more beer," at Tim Hamilton. A few other gems are also included. [Valet] 

Open for business: Diesel Planet on NYC's 5th Avenue, its largest outpost in the word.

-- SETH PLATTNER

Quickies: The fate of young designers, ex-gay fashion, and more

Photo: Getty Images

Will young labels, like Duckie Brown (pictured),  survive the economy? New York Fashion week could be a tell-all. [NYT]

A few cameras stopped by former CFDA accessories award winner Philip Crangi's studio to film the master at work.  [The Cut]

French graffiti artist Andre (pictured) is launching his own vodka. It will be a collaborative launch with Belvedere, the actual bottle being called Belvedere IX, and apparently Andre spent a year "sipping a lot of vodka" so as to have a part in formulating the liquor. That's a good excuse if we've ever heard one. [WWD] 

Are you an ex-mastubator? or ex-homosexual? All in the name of religion? No? We hope not. But if you want to wear one of these shirts to be funny and ironic go ahead! [Gawker] 

Open for business: Diesel's third Miami unit. 

-- SETH PLATTNER

Models we love: Jon Kortajarena (and his foot fetish)

Photo courtesy of Diesel

Spring ad campaigns are popping up here and there, and the most recent one we've noticed confirms our suspicions: model Jon Kortajarena has a foot fetish. Or, he's being made to look like he does. First there were those Tom Ford ads, and now Diesel's Spring/Summer shoe ads have him not only looking looking deliciously hot, but also casually indulging a foot worshiper who may or may not be Sloth Fratelli from The Goonies.

But -- don't get us wrong -- we're not freaked out or anything. Like we said, he looks good and the shoes are hot, so we'd probably get down there and sniff-lick too. And, it's not like we weren't already aware of Diesel's raw, slightly controversial side:

> For Fall 06, Terry Richardson shot a group of Diesel wearing hoodlums running amok in the afterlife.

> The there was the Diesel XXX Party SFW promo video. Porn and cartoons? We're sold!

> And, if you haven't been on the Diesel website recently, they've got a handful of disturbingly funny videos, like "Pete the Meat Puppet" and "Hair Bath." 

Gays afraid of fetishes? Never. Keep it coming.

-- SETH PLATTNER