The invitation featured a Scottie dog peeking out of its kennel and the preshow Campari was poured from bottles wrapped in little kilts—but even that was scant preparation for Moschino's full-on Highland fling. From the moment that a clan of kilted men filed out to line the backdrop (where they subsequently stood sun-glassed and stone-faced), Rosella Jardini and her team went wild for all things Hibernian. After the show, Jardini claimed the theme of every Moschino collection follows on from the first fabric she takes to—and this time, it happened to be plaid. But that wasn't the only discernible influence here. Moschino contributed to Dita Von Teese's autumn trousseau, and the spirit of burlesque's leading lady hung heavy over the tartans, velvets, and crepes that were tailored into shapes straight out of a 1940's melodrama. La Teese herself made a late entrance, husband in tow.
This being Moschino, there was an element of gleeful kitsch in the parade of Scottish references. That Scottie dog turned up as a print. Tartan swung wide in a smock dress, slithered as a strapless cocktail, kilt-buckled all the way down, or came cropped into a jacket paired with a pencil skirt (with a huge patent belt cinching the silhouette). In this context, an ivory silk blouse worn with a black pencil skirt, and wool knee-highs seemed like the sort of outfit Jean Brodie might have worn if she were a Maitresse rather than a Miss. But there was also a less themed side to the collection that exercised a more subtle appeal: take the striped blouse and full flannel trousers with a little black velvet cape. A black taffeta gown, meanwhile, looked ideal for the next time Balmoral Castle rolls out the red carpet. This show might not have been everyone's cup of tea, or drop of scotch, but all in all it was rather fun.
