From the irresistible sugar-sweet suiting to the stable of outrageously cute animal motifs, here’s the lowdown on the spring/summer 2022 collection that pop queens – from Dua Lipa to Olivia Rodrigo – will be sharpening their elbows for.
Hands up, who’s missed Moschino shows? Thought so. Although Jeremy Scott can be credited for breathing new life into the digital fashion show format – his fantastical puppet spring/summer 2021 presentation will go down in history – there’s nothing quite like a live Moschino extravaganza to remind you of the joy of fashion. For his return to New York Fashion Week, Scott took us on a riotous romp down memory lane; transforming the nursery rhymes of our childhoods into adorable high fashion with an unabashedly flirtatious lilt. “Maybe it’s our secret craving for comfort for our hearts; the nostalgia of childhood; the love of being wrapped up in a blanket… that security,” Scott shared of his new-season inspiration. “The collection is still a red-carpet bonanza, but it’s also as cosy as if your grandma made it.”
In Scott’s technicolour dream world, bunnies form the bustiers of gowns; giraffes with baby monkeys swinging from their necks pop up from décolletés; and a veritable Noah’s Ark of animals skips across the clothing. “I think that mix of sexy and playful is something that almost exclusively belongs to me,” asserts Scott of the niche he has carved out within the industry. “The people who do sexy just do sexy, and the people who do cute do cute. I straddle the line, creating things that can still be very sexy, but have a coquettish, playful Hawaii effect.”
While Scott has missed the showmanship of being one of the jewels in New York Fashion Week’s crown, the ever youthful designer has truly been craving the energy of being with his people; the ones who share his pure delight in dressing up. Fresh from a catch-up with Gigi Hadid, whom he had not seen since she became a mother, emotions around the grand reunion run high. “Beyond all the parts that people see, there’s a side to our friendships that no one witnesses,” he shares of bonds formed over the years. “It’s against our human nature to be isolated; we’re sociable, loving creatures, and we’re so genuinely fortunate to pursue the things that we love and obsess over for a living.”
While Alice in Wonderland was Scott’s favourite book as a kid, “Mary Had a Little Lamb” is the rhyme that stayed with him from his childhood. Accordingly, the adorable farmyard animal is one of the hero motifs on this season’s campy accessories, which will be catnip for Moschino’s loyal customers, who buy into Scott’s rose- (or perhaps baby-pink) tinted perspective on life. Who can blame them? Everything always looks more fun through Jeremy’s lens.
Editor
Alice Newbold