Although the name Moschino needs no introduction, it is more often associated with colorful, sometimes comic-like designs that stir up controversial emotions on global runways. Meanwhile, Franco Moschino, about whom not much is spoken, was the originator and founder of one of the most colorful contemporary fashion houses.
Who was Franco Moschino?
Franco Moschino was born in 1950 in Italy. Despite his short life (the designer was 44 years old when he died), he managed to establish and fully develop a thriving fashion business. The Moschino brand is associated today with colorful clothes, large graphics, and creative use of logos of known brands and institutions. Playing with form, content, and juggling trends are the hallmarks that characterize this Italian fashion house. It's worth knowing that Franco Moschino himself came up with the aesthetics of the brand, and what we see today is a more contemporary form of continuing the original ideas of the founder.
From a young age, Franco Moschino knew that he wanted to work in the artistic fields. At the age of seventeen, he got into the Academy of Fine Arts in Milan, where he studied illustration. His talent for drawing allowed him to freelance for popular fashion magazines of the time, and for Gianni Versace himself, who in the early 70s was preparing to conquer the world's runways.
From Illustrations to Moschino Couture
However, making illustrations did not give him the expected satisfaction. Moschino began to feel the lack of opportunities for total expression, which is why he became increasingly fascinated by fashion. Combining textures, symbols, colors, remaking the old into new and giving clothes a special meaning became a new passion for the Italian illustrator, to which he devoted himself completely.
Finally, at the age of 33, in 1983, he founded his own brand, Moschino Couture. Although the name may suggest an assortment rich in stunning ball gowns, Franco Moschino mainly designed jeans and everyday clothes. Over time, the brand began to expand, and the offer was extended to include shoes, lingerie, perfumes, and men's fashion. The 80s were also the decade when Moschino began to experiment with kitsch intertwined with designs from the highest fashion shelf. This combination of beauty with shocking and constant search for inspiration in pop culture became the main feature of the Moschino fashion house.
The Era of Jeremy Scott
Today, with Jeremy Scott holding the position of artistic director, Moschino shows are the most colorful point of any Fashion Week. Every year on the catwalk we see another tribute paid to elements of pop culture - from Barbie dolls, through popular fast-food chains, to cartoon characters for children. Scott has never been afraid of exaggeration and scaling up what a few good decades ago Franco Moschino started doing in fashion. Thanks to the work of both designers, this Italian fashion house is today one of the most recognizable brands, and despite balancing on the thin line of kitsch and banality, Moschino collections sell like hot cakes.
