In Moschino’s House, Irony Reigns Supreme
For his debut collection as creative director, Adria Appiolaza played with Italian fashion in a way only Moschino can.
Moschino’s fall 2024 show had a bit of everything: oversize trenchcoats, big slogan t-shirts, trompe l’oeil cardigans, and a slew of references to the house’s founder, Franco Moschino—including an Italian flag top artfully draped into pants, cloud print skirts, and bedazzled question-mark t-shirt dresses.
This was Moschino’s new creative director Adrian Appiolaza’s first collection. The designer’s résumé reads a bit like a greatest hits compilation—Alexander McQueen, Miguel Adrover, Miu Miu, Louis Vuitton, Chloé, and Loewe. And for this occasion, Appiolaza went back to the source as he dug deep into the archives of Franco Moschino, focusing especially on exploding and expanding silhouettes. That meant big sweaters, tailored suiting, enormous t-shirt dresses, and elongated slipdresses. Everyday staples of the wardrobe were pulled apart and dissected, turned on their head into wearable objects of fascination. The sweater dress and furry coat each got a maximal shape makeover. Appiolaza proved that when it comes to silhouettes, his version of Moschino says go big or go home.
There is a certain campy element that is intrinsic to the brand. And while this collection didn’t reach that stratospheric, over-the-top quirk that we’ve seen with former creative director Jeremy Scott, some of Moschino’s biggest fans will be very happy with fall 2024—especially those who love Fran Fine’s era-defining ’90s style on The Nanny. (That sort of fashion is experiencing its own revival among the TikTok archival clothing collecting set.) Take the runway version of the polka-dot suit, for instance—a modern rework of a piece Franco designed and Fine (played by Fran Drescher) wore in the TV series. Then there’s the red heart-shaped bag (a version of the character’s most-loved purse on the show), paired with a denim-on-denim baggy Canadian tuxedo that Fine would have probably worn if The Nanny was still on the air today.
This seems to be the season of the hat, and Moschino also delivered on that trend. The collection showed cowboy hats on top of cowboy hats, deconstructed turbans, and baggy knit beanies. Smiley face totes, aviator sunglasses, and handbags that mirrored paper grocery bags full of baguettes, flowers, and produce defined the accessories lineup.
Highlights of the collection came in a sea of irony: big cable-knit sweaters paired with loose jeans and a red ruffled skirt; a little black dress with strands of built-in pearls that swished around the body as the model walked; khaki blazers and military-inspired skirts thrown over a sheer cloud-print button-down maxi skirt. Overall, the collection skewed more everyday and more wearable than Scott-era Moschino. It was less about extremes and focused on the real world. But that classic play with fashion that’s inherent to the Moschino brand was there, and that’s important. After all, we need a little joy in today’s strange world.
