The appointment of Jeremy Scott to Moschino was self-evidently a brilliant conjunction of fashion spirit animals from his first very Golden Arches look (even if some who detested it then only eventually came around). In the eight years since, Scott’s codes and those of the house have meshed so inextricably, most especially in menswear, that it’s hard to imagine a convincing successor should the American ever choose to step down. And while this evening’s collection starred the Scott-revived artistry of Tony Viramontes, whose fluidly beguiling fashion illustrations patterned this collection, its essence was tangibly Scott/Moschino.
This was Scott’s first all-menswear show since joining the house. Hitherto he has always sprinkled resort belles amongst his butch menswear bros. This only served to accentuate the confident continuity inherent in Scott’s menswear: before this partnership with Viramontes’s estate there were collections with Judy Blame in 2017 and Gilbert & George in 2016 that featured similar pentimento experiments in layered illustrated texture. Scott said Madonna had regaled him with stories of her ’80s high-jinx with Viramontes, and the artist also was engaged with the designer’s beloved Buffalo movement. So this fresh collaboration made perfect thematic sense, while the collection itself remained tangibly all-Scott. As he said afterwards: “You will have different themes and inspirations. But I’m always trying to bring my own love, passion and ways of doing things to it.” After what seems like a way-too-long absence, this return of Moschino-via-Scott to its home turf was delightful.
