When 55DSL first started, you were about 17. Did you have any influence on the company from the start or did you come on a little later?
I was still studying when the 55DSL line was created inside the Diesel Group. In a small way, I have always been involved in sharing ideas with the designers…to put new designs or specific pieces in the collection. Since the beginning, I felt 55DSL was close to my way of life.
What made you decide to come on as the creative director?
I went to my father’s office and said, “I have an idea!” I started talking about the idea of having a brand of clothing for the three “S” worlds: skate, surf and snowboard. Since then I got on board as creative director and started working to develop this project.
You have always been into skating and snowboarding, and this was a big influence on how 55DSL was positioned later on. How did this come about and why did 55DSL drift away from this culture?
I loved and still love these sports. We simply evolved and realized that 55DSL was more than that! It’s fun, music, irony, and above all, we found out along the way that graphics and arts were the things we were right for. We are graphically driven and nowadays it’s what represents us the most.
Fifteen years is quite a milestone. How do you think the brand has changed over the years and where is it headed?
15 years…wow! That’s really exciting! We are evolving in terms of product (quality and style) and doing our best to always try to get something new and fresh. For example, for our 15th anniversary we launched lots of collaborations such as the Survival Kit in collaboration with DIM MAK and Ferrino, Vasava x 55DSL x Atom Plastic Senor Blanco, the limited edition jacket with Bloody Beetroots and I could go on… I love my team too, the group we built up inside the company. And I love the idea that we are going in a direction where our final consumer will also become addicted to us.
55DSL has always maintained a very independent attitude even though it’s owned by Diesel. How has this effected the brand overall?
We are happy to be an independent company that can quickly move according to the market request. This allows us to always be fresh and immediate towards our consumers’ needs. We also belong to a very solid and strong group, “Only the Brave,” that guarantees steadiness and solidarity, which is very helpful.
