Renzo Rosso created the Diesel brand in 1978, choosing the name because it is easy to understand and pronounced the same way around the world. At that time, Diesel was also considered an “alternative energy”, so the word stood for an alternative taste in fashion. In 1985 Renzo Rosso acquired sole control of Diesel and surrounded himself with an international team of talented designers and staff. Diesel launched its first ‘For Successful Living’ advertising campaign in 1991, instantly establishing a reputation for innovative marketing. The brand’s first flagship stores, in New York, Rome and London, opened in 1996. In 2000 Diesel acquired Staff International, an Italian manufacturer and distributor of international designer labels.

Two years later Renzo Rosso became a majority shareholder of Maison Martin Margiela. In 2007 Diesel signed a partnership with L’Oréal’s luxury product division to launch a line of fragrances, which for the moment comprises Fuel For Life and Only The Brave. A new premium sophisticated clothing collection, Diesel Black Gold, was launched in early 2008 at the New York fashion week; Greek designer Sophia Kokosalaki started to play primary role in the collection from FW 2010, her first debut as Diesel Black Gold female designer was in New York on February 2010. The New Year has begun with many changes also at Diesel, starting with the announcement of the appointment of a new artistic director for the Diesel line: starting from January 2010 Bruno Collin, French publisher and founder of trend magazine WAD, is now responsible for creating and mixing a team of internal and external creative’s to ensure that Diesel continues to be one of the world’s most innovative brands as it enters a new decade.