Anna Dello Russo, Vogue Nippon's eccentric editor at large and a true fashion maniac, walked into the Moschino show this morning in a black skirtsuit from the house's Fall collection dripping with gold hoops and jangling like a tambourine. It would take a maximalist more fearless than she is, though, to pull off some of the clothes Rosella Jardini put on the runway today. Red and blue polka dots, stripes, ten-gallon hats, turban scarves, fleur-de-lis doorknocker earrings, gold mirrored shades—it was all happening, often in a single outfit. The model who wore an off-the-shoulder bustier dress that flared at the hips before falling to a deep ruffle above the ankle looked like a Wild West saloon girl whose time machine got stuck in the 1980's.
The show had less over-the-top moments, but the sharp tailoring wasn't without quirky, tongue-in-cheek details of its own. A navy double-breasted jacket came edged in gold fringe, an ivory blazer featured a felt boat instead of a pocket square, and in place of frogging closures, a cropped linen style was decorated with gold scissors. And what's a Moschino show without piles and piles of faux pearls? Irreverence has been the name of the game here since Franco Moschino founded the company nearly 30 years ago. But when practiced this exuberantly, the house signature can end up looking camp. If it's not believable on the runway, what about in real life?
