FASHION
Backstage at Moschino ’ s combined Fall menswear and Pre-Fall womenswear show , Jeremy Scott was exasperated . Not because the collection was bad — it wasn ’ t — nor because of any in-the-moment snafus . No . He was , and will remain , mad as hell about our “ global situation ”— as he sees it , a Trump-tarred reality — and it was crystal clear in his temperament and on his runway . “ My country is in the toilet . And when my country is in the toilet , the world is in the toilet ,” he stated . “ We have to fight for everything we believe in . That ’ s the expression I wanted to use .” Galvanized , this was a strong outing from Scott . Think : far less of the slapsticky and the camp , far more of the barbed , and prickling at times with oily black humor . It reminded this writer of an old Moschino ad from 1993 . The promo depicted a quadrant of visuals , one of which was a fresco painting overlaid with the words No to violence ! Similar frescoes reappeared tonight in Milan , including on a fatigue suit and wartime rucksack worn by Jordan Barrett . Elsewhere , the imagery was covered with impassioned brush strokes , comparable in gist to redactions in declassified documents . That implied the end — or at least , the irreparable damage — of past convention . There were other nods to event horizon , like iridescent “ countdown clock ” motifs on blazers and overcoats for men , and full ballgown skirts for women . A graphic opening series of Transformers battling in space was also in the mix , though this bit — and another consisting of all-over studded bric-a-brac on lapels and berets , made with help from Judy Blame — were weak points in Scott ’ s
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phalanx . The best — and most piercing — pieces he showed tonight were the relatively simplest . See camouflage trousers worn with a multi-colored marabou coat . The look was suggestive , and slyly very much do ask , do tell . Ditto an almost demure noir coat dress . Moschino in mourning ? Flak jackets and cargo pants — some with those aforementioned paint swaths , some with a military green rose design — were also forceful .
Regardless of one ’ s political affiliation , it was exciting to see a version of Scott shed of silliness ( okay , excluding the Transformer figures ). In a season already rife with strife , this , admittedly , didn ’ t cut too deep — how deep can Moschino go , really ?— but it did reveal a fire to the designer not often seen . Light it up , Jeremy .
4GUYS . CA