Diesel Black Gold Collection Turns Its Back On Us

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Diesel's luxury sub-brand, Diesel Black Gold, looks like the frontrunner in the unofficial Fashion Week contest for most arduous point of access. During the snowstorm before last night's show, the courtyard of the W Hotel was packed tight with journalists, bloggers and other fashion week fixtures, all of whom were stretching their creative muscles to figure out entertaining new ways to express coldness and displeasure. Suddenly we all heard a terrible cry and looked up to see the plastic PR tent sag under pressure and drop a big heap of slushy wet snow over the heads of everyone who had almost made it inside. We've never been so glad to be in the middle of a line.

The weather didn't impede the industry heavyweights, however. We spied Carine Roitfeld, dry as a bone and chic as ever alongside Suzy Menkes We also spotted Anne Slowey, Leigh Lezark, Richie Rich and Daisy Lowe in the audience, along with Sartorialist Scott Schuman and his kids.

For her debut collection, the brand's new creative director Sophia Kokosalaki maintained the label's rock-and-roll vibe with slim leather moto jackets and sexy little dresses with tattoo-inspired prints on nude fabric insets. The faded, distressed denim was paired with country plaids, vests, lightweight black leather and even flowing layers of sheer black chiffon.

From the moment the first model turned to reveal a shredded bottom on what was otherwise an only mildly distressed denim mini skirt, we knew we'd need to give the collection a second look. The backs of several garments were dramatically embellished with distressing, cut-outs, fabric inserts, and even a couple enormous airbrushed rock-and-roll graphics on the backs of a couple jackets.
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