Introduction of StyleLab
In 1998 Diesel introduced the new brand StyleLab. Before that the brand portfolio of Diesel had three main product lines. These were D-Diesel, the core business line with a focus on the traditional 5 pockets denim, Diesel Kids and 55DSL, the sportswear collection of Diesel.
With the introduction of StyleLab Diesel was about to up-market. Rosso realized in the 1990s that customers were willing to pay high prices not only for smart clothes, but also for casual wear. Furthermore the dress code in companies and banks became more casual. Rosso saw the opportunity to enter a new segment with StyleLab. The idea behind that was to create high casual wear, to serve the demand for this new segment. The main objectives with StyleLab were to enter a new and attractive market for high casual wear. Furthermore Rosso wanted to give the brand a touch of prestige. Another issue was to give the Diesel designers a chance to be creative, to work with new materials and experiment with new fabrics and cuts. Behind all that was also the idea of preventing a commoditization of the brand Diesel.
Compared to Diesel StyleLab was more exclusive, more innovative and more expensive. For StyleLab Rosso did not define a precise target group, customers could be past Diesel buyers looking for more exclusiveness, but basically anybody who was interested in that style could become a target customer. People could define themselves as targets and as a result customers have a high identification with the product.
Diesel and StyleLab have distinct brand identities; however they have roots in common. Some keywords that can be associated with both of the brands are creativity, freedom, global outlook and thoughtfulness. But it needs to be pointed out that the products of Diesel and StyleLab were very different. Diesel still had the main focus on denim StyleLab was more experimenting with new fabrics and materials.
If you take a closer look at the development of the brand Diesel you can notice that Diesel remained true to its original identity despite of its growth. The original identity of Diesel was rebellious, uncommon and a sense of humour. The problem Diesel had was a constant threat of losing originality. Diesel became a victim of its success, Diesel started to become conventional due to the evolution of the market. To counteract to that Diesel invented labels like StyleLab, the idea behind that was to crate upper range jeans, to generate new consumers and to enter a new market. However Diesel always stayed true to its roots and linked new brands with the original brand and kept links to the original image. By doing that Diesel never lost its credibility.
