MOSCHINO FALL WINTER 2020 WOMEN’S COLLECTION – MILAN FASHION WEEK

From the gilded extravagances of Marie Antoinette to the candy-bright colors of Tokyo, Jeremy Scott’s Moschino Fall 2020 womenswear collection is all about fantasy, fun—and a bit of irony.

Think: the one-time Queen of France, but cosplayed today. Or, alternatively, as Scott calls her, “Anime Antoinette” stepping out from a flat-screen in 2020, time-traveling in reverse, and holding court in Versailles.

Through it all, an insurrectionary fire burns; when the elite rule with ignorance and decadence, rebellions stir. This is where Scott’s paradox surfaces; the collection is built on hedonism, but it’s the kind of fun that comes with fangs.

The palette is packed with frosting-pastels and hyper-saturation. Shapes are extra-exaggerated. The surreal gets sugar-coated. Farthingale and pannier-waist dresses are morphed into new silhouettes with hybridized hoodies or moto-jackets.

Denim is accented with gold threading; that same metallic embroidery appears as cherubs on skirt hems or leather lapels. Frilled hems add a lighthearted kick, while rainbow jewel-toned velvets recall a more recent sort of nostalgia (the 1760’s meeting, the 1960’s). Toile de Jouy motifs are reimagined with anime characters in situ.

As a cherry on top, Scott’s finale evening gowns—designed to mimic tiered cakes—act as a tongue-in-cheek take on Marie Antoinette’s famous alleged quote. (Whether or not she actually said “let them eat cake” is besides the point; the confectionery cocktail dresses stand as a sly comment on the denseness of certain people in power).

Of course, in the Moschino timeline, satire and subversion is always envisioned with both grand theater and good humor.