Diesel celebrates 20 years in China, OTB opens new headquarters in Shanghai

Italian brand Diesel arrived in China 20 years ago. Last Thursday, it celebrated this anniversary by opening a new headquarters for its parent company, OTB SpA, in Shanghai and with a lecture by founder Renzo Rosso at Donghua University.

These initiatives highlight the importance of the Chinese market for OTB. The group currently employs 900 people in China, Hong Kong and Macao and operates around 100 stores there.

Diesel founder Renzo Rosso: China is “a source of inspiration”

The opening ceremony of the new headquarters was attended by Renzo Rosso, chairman of the OTB group, and Tiziana D’Angelo, the Italian consul general in Shanghai. Representatives from the Shanghai city administration and the press were also present.

The new regional headquarters is located in the Lee Gardens building in the heart of the Jing'an district, overlooking the picturesque Suzhou Creek. The space has been doubled compared to the previous location. The location and expansion underscore the group's intention to strengthen its presence in China. It also aims to provide the team with more modern and functional working conditions and to consolidate relationships with local partners.

According to a statement, Rosso gave a lecture to students at Donghua University. The university is a leading institution for design and fashion in Asia. The event was organised under the patronage of the Italian Consulate General, the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, Altagamma, the Italian Trade Agency and the Italian Cultural Institute.

“The meeting was aimed at students from various universities and fashion schools in the city. It highlights the ongoing commitment of OTB and its chairman to nurturing young talent. Entrepreneurial and creative experiences are shared, and a direct relationship is established with the new generations,” the statement reads.

Rosso emphasised the country's importance: “China is a country with a unique energy. Every time I return here, I am fascinated by its rhythm, its creativity and its speed. For our group, China is not only a strategic market but also an inexhaustible source of inspiration,” he explained. “Over the past twenty years, we have expanded the presence of our brands and built an authentic dialogue with the new generations who share our brands' values. Our philosophy is to collaborate with local communities to combine the brands' know-how with the local mindset.”

“The inauguration of the new headquarters in Shanghai, the meeting with young talent at Donghua University and the celebration of twenty years of Diesel are a special moment for me and the OTB group,” Rosso stressed. “This underscores the importance of China, a country with an extraordinary culture, history and modernity, in which we will continue to invest in the future.”

The group has already supported numerous initiatives and collaborations in China between its brands and local designers, artists and communities. This includes the “Marni Miao” project, which celebrated the elegance and complexity of embroidery by reinterpreting the codes of the Miao minority in a contemporary way.

Diesel has already created several capsule collections in collaboration with Chinese designers such as Xander Zhou and Pronounce, as well as with celebrities like William Chan and Chris Lee. Maison Margiela has brought its experimental vision into dialogue with the country's contemporary art and culture through new retail formats, pop-ups, installations and initiatives in various cities. MM6 Maison Margiela has also previously collaborated with designer Chen Peng.

Diesel celebrates twenty years in China Image: OTB

This article was translated to English using an AI tool.

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