Jeremy Scott, the new creative director for Moschino, just sent down his first runway for the brand on February 20 during Milan Fashion Week. The collection included multiple looks that can best be described as Chanel meets McDonald’s as well as SpongeBob printed tops, pants, backpacks, and even jackets. The show ended with a series of dresses made out of prints of various food packing such as gummy bears, cheese crackers, Hershey’s chocolate, and even Budweiser. The show’s finale was a wedding dress printed with nutritional facts labels. Sprinkled into the mix of this pop culture themed collection were black leather outfits that contained chains and tight gold belts for a very BDSM feel. Jeremy Scott brought sex, food, and pop entertainment into the house of Moschino. While this may all seem like fun and games, there may be a not so fun message that lies beneath.
The collection appeared to be a celebration of gluttony, lust, and slothfulness. However, it does not seem possible for one to revel in one while also enjoying all the others. If one practiced gluttony and slothfulness, then it would not be possible for one to fit into the bondage clothes or easily participate in the BDSM activities Scott was referencing. Is that, then, why he included the nutritional fact-printed wedding dress at the end? Was he reinforcing the need for a dose of self-control after reveling in a bit sinful behavior?
It is also quite strange to see an incredibly thin, Amazonian woman walking down the runway in something resembling a Hershey’s wrapper or in a sweatshirt with the golden arches emblazoned on the front. It does not seem possible that the models have recently eaten any of the brands that they are advertising on their clothes, yet they are participating in celebrating such a culture of mass consumption. This sends conflicting messages and images to the audience that cannot be reconciled. Is the show celebrating giving in to one’s desires or exercising will power? Is it possible to celebrate both? While the models and the nutritional labels give the show a message of restraint, the culture of consumption appears to overrule. This is a show that readily and enthusiastically revels in the gaudiness and outlandishness of modern culture. The easily recognizable food packaging prints and SpongeBob face printed on the front of tops demonstrate that it is indeed possible to be completely submersed, both physically and mentally, in pop culture.
While it is easy to critique a collection such as this, it seems necessary to also laud it for its daring and embrace of modernity. Sure the mass consumption culture of these products makes them prime targets for ridicule, but they are also intrinsically part of our modern culture. They are everything that is bright, fun, pop, and delightfully overdone. Above all, they are entertaining, and sometimes it is ok to celebrate and even enjoy the contributions these products make to our modern existence.