Jeremy Scott at Moschino, Revisited
The recent whirl of fashion hirings and firings claims another designer. On Monday, Jeremy Scott announced he would step down from his role at luxury house Moschino. In his announcement, he thanked chairman Massimo Ferreti and his legion of friends and fans. In his statement, he said, “These past 10 years at Moschino have been a wonderful celebration of creativity and imagination.”
A Decade Long Relationship
Scott’s ten years at the Italian brand was a mix of eccentric virality and legal controversies. He made fashion fun without self consciousness or pretension. He also poked fun at consumerism while embracing the recognizable iconography associated with ‘trashiness’ whether it be pop culture or fast food. The Moschino A/W 2014 show and his debut collection was inspired by… McDonalds! Models walked the runway in structured cow print and red & yellow robes. There was the Moschino logo in the McDonalds typography and Happy Meal purses. It was a peek into the logomania that defined the end of the 2010s.
He also reigned the red carpet, collaborating with some celebrities so frequently fashion dubbed them the “Jezza posse”. For example, singer Katy Perry was a close collaborator and he designed costumes for her 2015 Super Bowl show and wore Moschino to multiple Met Galas.
Allegations of Property Theft
But, young and up-coming creatives often accused Scott of plagiarism. In 2018, Norwegian designer Edna Gimnes accused him of stealing her designs from multiple collections. In 2020, Dorothy Williams accused him of copying her wearable framed print designs for Milan Fashion Week. Gimnes eventually sued both Moschino and Scott and settled out of court.
Jeremy Scott’s departure is also shocking because his ten year tenure that inextricably linked Scott and Moschino for a specific generation of fashion fans. When we thought of Moschino, Scott also came to mind and vice versa. It is the end of an era for both Scott and Moschino. Where will they both go next? The fashion house hasn’t named a successor yet. And Scott’s namesake label last appeared on the runway in 2019. It is a waiting game and will be compelling to watch two entities find an identity outside of each other, after being intertwined for so long.
Featured Image courtesy of The New York Times