Dear Friends,

Creative Direction of a global brand comes with responsibilities. Diesel is not talking to a few — we are speaking to everyone. In what we do, in our efforts, in the examples we make and the stories we tell we are spreading our convictions. We have a social impact.  

Since the 90’s, Diesel’s advertisement campaigns have set a unique tone of voice, serving as an antidote to the status quo, normalizing taboos, flipping the script on stories of social injustices, minorities, absurd in society. With that in mind, I feel Diesel needs to act more as a platform and amplify deeper, real and amazing stories that can make a difference in the world we live in today. 

Diesel has proudly partnered with the Tom of Finland Foundation on a multi-part project. This includes a two- instalment art show—between Venice, Italy and Paris, France—called “AllTogether curated by Tom of Finland Foundation and The Community. 

We want to bring a light to a long legacy of queer imagination and perseverance worldwide. Stories of artists in which many have faced discrimination and misrepresentation due to the nature of who they are and what they create.

This is the Tom of Finland Foundation’s first such exhibition of its kind outside of Tom House in Los Angeles, and it has been entirely and proudly underwritten by Diesel. 

To give further visibility to this legacy, we feature a specialized Pride 2022 capsule collection with the artwork of some of the same artists of the exhibition that have been curated by the Foundation (you’ll find more information, below). 

The capsule has been lensed by Spyros Rennt, showcasing Berlin, Germany’s queer scene—which, just 70 years ago, were still persecuted. A constant reminder that the Safe Haven some of us are privileged to live, is a result of many battles fought by many generations of activists such as the Tom of Finland Foundation. This battle is still to be fought in so many parts of our world. 

This layered approach demonstrates my own viewpoint—and Diesel’s position—of needing to amplify our social responsibility.

I look forward to celebrating Pride with all of you, and for you to be part of this story with us as this partnership continues. 

Glenn Martens

THE COLLECTION 

DIESEL has partnered with the Tom of Finland Foundation on a specialized Pride 2022 capsule collection offering a selection of pride-dedicated pieces. This drop goes deeper in terms of its social connection: It features explorations and depictions of the Tom of Finland Foundation’s erotic and LGBTQIA+ art collection. Pieces from the Foundation are reinterpreted as prints and graphic motifs, with 7 different creators’ work being showcased. These artists include: Silvia Prada, Florian Hetz, Palanca, Peter Berlin, Michael Kirwan, Tank (Paul Tankersley) and Heather Benjamin. 

On Silvia Prada’s bowling-collar shirt, a collage of shirtless men is digitally printed in grayscale puzzle pieces. A dark brown hoodie features a photograph of tightly crossed arms by Florian Hetz, while another tee features a photo of Peter Berlin. Polos, shorts, sweatpants and tank tops top out the ready-to-wear component; the depiction of this art stands to celebrate and promote tolerance toward queerness and sexuality.

This collection is notably wider than prior Pride iterations. It also includes dedicated genderless denim pieces, intimates and bags. The denim designs feature a trucker jacket, pants and shorts, all of which are made in a light white wash. Each also features a sewn-on patch that reads “ALLTOGETHER BY TOM OF FINLAND FOUNDATION AND THE COMMUNITY WITH DIESEL.” 

Items belonging to intimate category boast a hybridization of DIESEL’s text logo and Tom of Finland’s handwritten signature. There are also two canvas shopper totes—one features a Michael Kirwan illustration, and the other features a Peter Berlin drawing complete the whole offer. Lastly, dedicated tee and tote merchandise is available exclusively at each exhibition.

The DIESEL Pride 2022 collection will be available worldwide (except China) from the beginning of May, through www.diesel.com  and in DIESEL boutiques. 

THE EXHIBITION

The Tom of Finland Foundation and The Community have curated AllTogether, a group exhibition funded by Diesel, that presents Tom of Finland Foundation’s permanent collection to the public for the first time outside of Los Angeles.

AllTogether explores the Foundation’s erotic art collection over multiple decades and techniques. This exhibition is made possible by the Foundation’s efforts in preserving the work of queer artists, many of whom have faced discrimination and misrepresentation due to the nature of what they create.

For over thirty years, Tom of Finland Foundation has been building the world’s most extensive collection of LGBTQIA+ art. Durk Dehner and Tom of Finland co-founded Tom of Finland Foundation in 1984, with the aim to better preserve and promote Tom’s work. 

The Foundation’s role quickly extended to promoting and archiving the works of a wide range of queer artists: The early years of the Foundation coincided with the onset of the AIDS epidemic. Many erotic artists of the time, some working anonymously throughout their career, were concerned that their work would be forgotten or destroyed after their deaths. Thus, they donated their oeuvres to the Foundation, knowing it would be carefully archived. 

AllTogether acknowledges the profound social and cultural impact Tom’s Foundation has made, in providing an open, unique space of freedom and love for this community of artists. Usually witnessed hung on the walls of TOM House in Los Angeles, the diverse curation highlights the stories of over eighty featured artists. AllTogether begins at Studio Cannaregio in Venice, Italy, on April 23 to coincide with the opening weekend of the Venice Biennale. A second exhibition will open at The Community Centre in Paris on May 8. Both run through 26 June. The two shows comprise more than two hundred works of art from the 1940s to the present day.