If you've been in New York over the last several weeks, you've most definitely seen the ads for the new Diesel mega store at 54th and 5th: 685 Fifth Avenue to be exact. I stopped by the store last Thursday to have a glass of champagne and watch the guys from Spankrock dine in the window while tween fans took pics from outside.

My conclusion: hot hot hot. All 3 floors and 20,000 square feet of it are a welcome departure from the cookie cutter 5th Avenue shops we're all used to. Read the full press release here.

What'd I have my eyes on? Third floor = Diesel Black Gold, Diesel's latest line of high-end mens and womenswear. I had the chance to stop by the runway show in the tents last week and let's just say the collection is hot. I was particularly fond of the jackets, the fabrics and the fits. The line is really cool and hip, but unlike other lines done in a similar vein, it's almost 100% wearable by all types of guys. See for yourself in the pics below.

The collection's silhouettes combine slim, fitted tops and jackets with easy work-wear bottoms. Heavy fabrics are layered on light: silk with wool or leather. Classic styles like tweed and Prince of Wales check are reinterpreted with a modern twist. Colours are sombre and nocturnal: dusty hues mixed with tones of grey, white and black.

Women have a thirties touch. They're seductive torch singers, wearing precious evening dresses jazzed up with sequins. On other nights, these seductive sirens turn lingerie into cocktail outfits: guepieres and corsets inspire improvised pieces with a smoky nightclub feel. And yet the prints and graphics in the women's collection recall plants and flowers, as if their wearers are secretly dreaming of a walk in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Men are dressed for round midnight: the timeless elegance of a tuxedo combined with Japanese indigo denim that represents the hardy work-wear of the 1930s. Rugged checks add a further dash of frontier spirit.

It's rare that I'll actually want items from the shows -- mostly because I'm pretty sure I'd look ridiculous in Rick Owens', Margiela's, or Raf Simons' clothing -- but with Diesel Black Gold, it's a different story.

Make sure to stop by the new store and go to the 3rd floor -- for men -- to check out the Spring/Summer DBG collection.

If you live downtown and have the "I don't go above 14th Street rule" -- which I don't believe is possible! -- stop by Oak and check out the select pieces they carry from the line. You can thank me for the tip later.