Stupid is in. Diesel launches in India

The iconic Italian lifestyle brand Diesel has launched in India with its first store at Juhu, Mumbai.

Renzo Rosso (pictured above), founder and president of Diesel was in the city on Wednesday to flag off the launch, that was conducted in its unique quirky style, right from journalists attending the press meet walking the red carpet and being welcomed by flashbulbs, to the MC's clever apology, "Thank you, folks for waiting. You've really got to be 'stupid' to be patient for so long."

'Be Stupid' is the official Diesel brand philosophy and it's something that the brand's creative agency in India, Happy, will continue to build and promote in the country. Launching with the global campaign that celebrates its brave and creative spirit, the brand with the 'Be Stupid' ads also encourages people to take risks and move beyond the smart and safe track for life.

WATCH Diesel's 'Be Stupid' video below

Happy won the Diesel account after a multi-agency pitch. The marketing campaign in India will use a mix of outdoor, print and digital. No TV commercials are in the pipeline.

Diesel has partnered with Reliance Brands Ltd – a part of the Reliance Industries group, and is launching two stores in Mumbai this month - one in Juhu and the other at Palladium, High Street Phoenix. One store each will be rolled out in Bangalore, Delhi and Hyderabad, over the next few months.

Designed by the Diesel creative team, the two Mumbai stores are not a replica of any other existing Diesel flagship store in the world.

Commenting on the launch, Rosso said, "I have always admired Indian people, they are very passionate about what they do and they have an innate fashion taste. India has been one of our major objectives for the last 5 years, we worked hard in order to find the right location, the perfect time and the best partner to expand our brand in this country. The time is now and we are very excited to be here."

Darshan Mehta, president and CEO, Reliance Brands said, "To launch In India one of the most iconic brand in contemporary fashion, is the culmination of a dream and many months of painstaking but enjoyable work for my team and me. Diesel has spawned a genre of fashion that is an alternate to established luxury and in India it arrives to a throng of hungry fashionastas and a growing generation of cool consumers."

Diesel was born as a denim brand, but now has spread its reach over casual clothing, footwear, accessories, fragrances, eyewear, jewels, helmets, home textile, furniture and lighting, and even a car, the Fiat 500 by Diesel.