Andreas Melbostad speaks softly. “It’s very important for me to stay calm always,” he says, sitting at a café in Milan, sipping from a glass of water in between.
Having just finished his spring-summer show at the menswear showcase at Milan Fashion Week, his second as creative director for Diesel Black Gold, he says he’s not got much time to rest.
“This collection seems like a long time ago for me. We are already working on fall-winter. Sometimes, while working on one collection, we’re starting with the other,” he says. “So that’s why it’s important to be calm.”
The Norwegian designer was handpicked by Italian fashion entrepreneur Renzo Rosso to head up the Diesel Black Gold’s (DBG) womenswear collection in 2012. By the following year, he was promoted to overall creative director.
Spotted by Lanvin creative director Alber Elbaz in 1996, Melbostad’s CV includes stints at Yves Saint-Laurent, Nina Ricci, Donna Karan and Calvin Klein.
“I found him after many many years of research,” Rosso says. “And I’m really proud of what he’s done for DBG.”
As president of the OTP Group, Rosso has under his wings Diesel, Diesel Black Gold, Maison Martin Margiela, Marni and Victor & Rolf. Diesel Black Gold, under Melbostad’s creative direction, is marketed as a premium line of Diesel. Nicola Formichetti heads up the Diesel brand.
The Directory sat down with Melbostad to talk about his tenure at the brand so far, his vision and where he wants to take it going forward:
Q: Where does a collection begin for you?
A: For me, it starts with an abstract idea of an attitude. Like an expression of a guy. I’m research obsessed, so when I have the feeling of what this guy or girl is about, I start to piece together what could be the vocabulary to create this mood.
This season, I was inspired by the work of this stylist called Ray Petri who started the buffalo movement in the 80s. With men, it’s only my second collection and I was interested in these very iconic men’s coats. And I like things that are very visual, almost decorative. I find it very interesting because it’s not a very masculine formula. So I took on the buffalo feeling, not for the silhouette but for the eclectic street references, and I brought it all together to create one look. I tried to find a way not to reference it but to create some of that energy for today.
Q: How long did it take to bring it together?
A: It’s funny because I’m already working on the fall collection. We usually have several collections working on top of each other — that’s the kind of Diesel calendar.
Q: Doesn’t that create confusion?
A: I’m not used to working this way. Diesel’s like a big machine. So, they like to have things in a very structured way, plan ahead and have a strict calendar. Compared to my background, this has been a big difference for me. Sometimes it’s nice to do a show like today and then think of what next. But it’s also helpful in that it makes me structure my time, plan ahead.
Q: Do you ever get creative designer’s block?
A: Yes, absolutely. I haven’t really had that moment with the men’s collection because it’s all kind of new and I’m having a lot of fun. But there are moments creatively when you have the idea and you know abstractly what you want to accomplish and you want to put it to paper and realise it’s very difficult. It can be a bit stressful but I think you have to pace yourself and do due deligence in terms of research and the work. It’s also very important to stay calm throughout the process.
Q: So how do you stay calm?
A: In different ways. When I work, I like to do most of the sketches. I have an architectural approach to design. I work often while watching TV… like the History channel or something. It helps me relax.
Q: How involved is Renzo Rosso?
A: He is very involved and not so involved at the same time. He gives a lot of freedom. I can’t say he’s ever told me what to do. I never studied Diesel as a company. But I spent time with him, we look at things and being around him, I get his attitude, what’s important to him. Renzo and I are very different but we are also very similar at the same time. He has a lot of passion for this project, a lot of determination. And all of that is very inspiring and attractive to me.
Q: Do you sometimes stress about differentiating Diesel Black Gold from Diesel?
A: The difference in position is quite clear and the positioning creates a different platform. Diesel has a long history and Diesel Black Gold is building on that history but with a different approach. So, there is natural distinction. I do have to kind of think about the fact that Diesel is there and how they might express themselves. But it’s not a big concern for me. I’m more concerned about how Diesel Black Gold sits in the outside world. It’s very important for me to think of Diesel Black Gold in the global international sense and how it fits in the bigger world of fashion. For me, that’s more of my focus than how it relates to Diesel.
Q: Where does Diesel Black Gold stand currently?
A: It’s positioned very much with the cool DNA of the brand but with a different research and quality. In the future, I want to make the collection very comprehensive. The strength of the brand is in denim and leather, which we definitely tap into. And it’s also very close to my sensibility. But I want the brand to be as good with tailoring, dress shirts and sportswear and for the women with the soft dresses and accessories. Like today, we had denim but it’s much more cleaner with a vintage feel to it. So, it’s about finding elements and expanding the offering.
Q: What would you say are your biggest challenges?
A: To create a product and convince people that Diesel Black Gold has a reason to be. It is a higher product, it’s a more expensive product. It has a different aspiration with its design integrity. It’s also not easy to break down the barriers of what people expect with Diesel. So, we have a big job in finding the right way of doing it and communicating that message to people and bringing credibility to the project.
Q: How would you rate your tenure as creative director of Diesel Black Gold?
A: For me, as a personal experience, it’s been great. I really enjoy it. It’s a challenge and a great learning process. I’ve never worked with denim before, so I had to learn many new techniques. From the outside, there is definitely interest. More people are coming and buying the products and the momentum is building. So let’s see how it goes.
