Renzo Rosso
Founder of Diesel and president of OTB
Renzo Rosso is the Italian entrepreneur who built Diesel into a global denim and lifestyle brand and then created OTB (Only The Brave), the group that also owns Maison Margiela, Marni, Jil Sander and Viktor&Rolf. As president of OTB he is one of the few founders to have assembled a multi-brand fashion group from an Italian base outside the large luxury conglomerates.
| Role | Founder of Diesel; president of OTB |
|---|---|
| Founded | Diesel, late 1970s |
| Group brands | Diesel, Maison Margiela, Marni, Jil Sander, Viktor&Rolf |
| Born | 1955, Brugine, Italy |
| Nationality | Italian |
Who is Renzo Rosso?
Renzo Rosso is an Italian fashion entrepreneur, born in 1955 in Brugine near Padua. He is the founder of Diesel and president of OTB, the group whose name stands for Only The Brave. Through OTB he controls a portfolio that combines a mass premium denim brand with some of the most influential designer houses in contemporary fashion.
Career
After leaving university in Venice in 1975, Rosso worked as production manager at the clothing manufacturer Moltex, where he was mentored by Adriano Goldschmied of the Genius Group. At the end of the 1970s the two launched Diesel, choosing a name that evoked an alternative fuel at the time of the oil crisis. In 1985 Rosso took full control of the brand.
Over the following decades Diesel became known for premium jeans and provocative advertising. Rosso then broadened the business into a group:
- 2000: acquisition of Staff International, a producer and licensee for designer labels
- 2002: majority stake in Maison Margiela
- 2008: majority stake in Viktor&Rolf
- Later additions including Marni and, in 2021, Jil Sander, plus a minority stake in Amiri
Rosso remains president of the group, while day-to-day management is led by OTB's chief executive Ubaldo Minelli. In January 2026 Diesel appointed Andrea Rigogliosi, a former Miu Miu and LVMH executive, as chief executive of the brand, working alongside creative director Glenn Martens.
Influence on the fashion business
Rosso is widely credited with showing that an Italian denim brand could compete globally on image rather than price. His decision to invest in avant-garde houses such as Margiela and Marni created a rare independent alternative to LVMH and Kering for designer brands seeking an owner. OTB's mix of in-house production through Staff International and brand ownership is often cited as an example of vertically integrated group building in Italy.
Renzo Rosso and technology
Rosso was an early backer of fashion e-commerce. In March 2009 his investment vehicle Red Circle bought a 4.9 percent stake in YOOX, the Italian online retailer that later became part of YOOX Net-a-Porter. His group also brought a technology executive, Microsoft France's Carlo Purassanta, onto the OTB board as an independent director in 2021, reflecting the weight the group places on digital transformation.
Why it matters
Rosso's career spans the rise of denim as a fashion category, the consolidation of designer labels into groups and the shift to digital retail. As president of OTB he remains a central voice in Italian fashion, and the revival of Diesel under Glenn Martens is regularly cited as one of the more successful brand turnarounds of recent years.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Renzo Rosso?
Renzo Rosso is the Italian entrepreneur who founded Diesel and created the OTB group. He is president of OTB, which also owns Maison Margiela, Marni, Jil Sander and Viktor&Rolf.
Who owns Diesel?
Diesel belongs to OTB, the fashion group founded and presided over by Renzo Rosso. The brand is led by chief executive Andrea Rigogliosi, appointed in January 2026, and creative director Glenn Martens.