For many, the highlight of Diesel’s spring/ summer show in New York – the label’s home for three seasons now – was the crisp suiting that accompanied its trademark denims. The label, which Renzo Rosso founded in 1978, turns 30 next year, and it is perhaps with this milestone in mind that it is evolving into decidedly mature territory, with a refined and coolly elegant collection that invites us to look again at Diesel. Of course, there was the iconoclastic denim, which is today worn on the streets from Milan to Mumbai. But Diesel is now setting the pace for the men who first bought the label as teenagers hunting for cool jeans. And as you would expect from the brand, tailoring, fine knits and super-luxe leather were all delivered with Diesel’s signature flair. So, an evening jacket came unlined in heavy cotton, while a fluoro blue and pink jersey was casually stitched into polka dot cotton shirt. The result was a kind of insouciant sophistication, a sentiment shared by the modish collar on a shirt, which is satisfyingly narrow. Following Renzo Rosso’s acquisition of Dsquared2 and Maison Martin Margiela, it is apparent that the experience gained from working with both houses has filtered into today’s Diesel, and with a more luxurious frame of mind. Fitting too, that these elements of the collection will be available in London from Diesel Bond Street, Harrods and Harvey Nichols. Other UK and Ireland stockists include Brown Thomas, Blueberries and Michael Chell, where they will sit alongside Raf Simons, Comme des Garççons and Jil Sander.

Photography Ola Rindal Styling Thom Murphy Casting Thom Murphy Grooming Tomo Jidai at Untitled using Aveda Models Omar Kashoura, Tommy Beckett and Casper Walton-Clark Photographic assistant Ed Singleton Styling assistant Leeds