Moschino celebrates its 40th anniversary in style

Moschino celebrated its 40th birthday in Milan on Thursday with a festive and moving show that was a great success. The Italian label entrusted this celebration to four of today’s most influential designers: Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele, Katie Grand, Gabriella Karefa-Johnson and Lucia Liu. Far from a nostalgic show looking to the past, the event showed just how far ahead of his time the founder of the Franco Moschino brand was with a most desirable collection.

Each designer created ten looks, using the house’s iconic pieces or simply drawing inspiration from Franco Moschino, who founded his house in Milan in 1983. The result is a full collection expressing the different souls of the designer. Irony, irreverence, chic glamour, flamboyance and, of course, provocation.
 
The first act was designed by French designer Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele, or C.C.D. to her friends, who has worked for Vogue, Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel, Azzedine Alaïa and Jeremy Scott at Moschino, among others. After ten years as creative director, Scott left the company last March. His successor is due to be announced shortly.

White double-breasted suits, black dresses, jumpers over jeans… The designer revisited the classics of women’s clothing, as Franco Moschino did in his day, with respect and humour, making the whole look ultra-cool. Embellished with glittering stones and rivers of diamonds, including black wool knitted tops, the black and white look exuded a natural chic, both sophisticated and casual.
 
The second act, orchestrated by African-American Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, was a joyful, colourful and inclusive affair, playing with different styles from cowgirl to Andalusian dancer. She also played with contrasts in a mix and match of lace, knitwear, ruffles, fringes and shimmering materials in a kaleidoscope of colours. Her collection unleashed a beautiful energy, reinterpreting some of Franco Moschino’s recurring accessories, such as cowboy hats and very large earrings. Also worth noting was the skirt cut from a patchwork crocheted plaid.
 
Chinese designer Lucia Liu was more seduced by the lesser-known romantic side of Franco Moschino, with a collection featuring lingerie, lace, big bows, transparencies, embroidery and feather applications, all worked in contrast with masculine pieces, such as a grey flannel jacket, which was incorporated into the looks.

See catwalk

 
Lastly, British designer Katie Grand, known for her eccentric pop aesthetic and who has worked with some of the biggest names in fashion, from Louis Vuitton to Prada and Bottega Veneta, celebrated Franco Moschino’s more transgressive and political vein by taking his slogans and creating a new one: “loud luxury”, as opposed to the quiet luxury so fashionable on the catwalks.
 
The stylist sent a troupe of dancers down the catwalk, stripping off their sweatshirts to continue their frantic, dance-filled run in sexy black or white underwear, their breasts highlighted with a large felt-tip pen. Some wore tutus, lace-up leather boots and looked like wrestlers. They crossed the ring in an energetic and breathless choreography by Wayne McGregor.
 
The show ended on a nostalgic note, with the melody I am what I am, performed by a violinist from the La Scala theatre. Ten years ago, Gloria Gaynor came in person to sing her worldwide hit to a delirious audience at the show celebrating Moschino’s 30th anniversary.

Before closing the show, the models took a final lap of honour in jeans and a white slogan T-shirt, which has been produced in a limited edition and went on sale at the end of the show. Proceeds from sales will go to the Elton John Aids Foundation.