At the end of January, barely arrived at the head of Diesel, in the lap of OTB (Maison Margiela, Marni…), the Italian was setting up his crisis plan. Beyond the challenges to be crossed, he found the opportunity to create unwavering links with his teams.
LE FIGARO. - What measures did Diesel take during the crisis?
Massimo PIOMBINI. - The bulk of the work was to safeguard our profitability as much as possible, our sales were impacted by 22%. We had to protect the company while working to make it more agile. To support the system, the group continued to pay all of its employees and suppliers. All the leaders lowered their salaries by 25% until December, the CEO, Renzo Rosso, in half. The sum recovered goes to vulnerable employees.
What does fashion represent in Italy?
In the 1990s, I lived in the United States. For the Americans, Italy was nothing more than pasta and the mafia. But our industry, with its Gucci, Prada and Dolce & Gabbana, has changed our reputation. As in France, our labels make the country shine. This is so because our territories are limited, when you build your brand, you think big and far. Conversely, an American can be content with his country.
What is the place of innovation in this recovery?
To overcome the impossibility of selling our collections in a physical space, we launched Hyperoom, a virtual showroom. Designed for spring-summer 2021, this tool proves to be virtuous in the long term: if you sell via a digital catalog, you don't have to produce prototypes, which are expensive. Buyers no longer have to travel: you reduce the carbon impact. The challenge today is to rediscover the freshness of our beginnings, with the help of artistic directors relevant to their time and strong in their convictions.
