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Moschino's Tongue-in-Cheek Brilliance
By Godfrey Deeny
Photos by Gruber-FWD
MILAN, Mar 5, 2003 /FWD/ --- Even though the great Franco Moschino died nearly a decade ago,
the house he founded exhibits more energy and humor that most other fashion labels with active
designers.
Even invitations to their shows elicit a smile, like the absurd set of silly keys that was
the ticket to the Cheap & Chic show on Tuesday.
The same colors then turned up in mountaineer’s cables used to cinch fur coats and on
halyards that became funky necklaces.
Yet there’s always a method to the Moschino madness.
Take a series of four lady Beefeaters, who appeared to the strains of "Land of Hope and Glory."
Wearing a giant beaver coat, the first model garnered a huge laugh by pulling off a perfect
Queen Mum wave of her hand.
But the key thing was that the red military frock coats and jackets the foursome wore
looked damned good.
You could see the front row of major department store pencils making a mental note.
The house’s signature line, shown Monday, had just the right blend of seduction and creativity.
Models skipped and shimmied along the catwalk in revamped tutus with frilly flamenco trim.
Worn with cool little silk jackets with strips of wool, they were fun, yet not foolish.
Slickly cut suits that hinted of Chanel, but without the seriousness of the French label,
and motorbike pants with inlays and leggings with appliqués -- all had humor and sex appeal.
The house, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, will open a major new boutique
in Paris this Thursday and is planning a series of celebrations in the summer.
Under the design team of Rosella Jardini and Vincent Darre, Moschino has grown into a
brand with turnover in the region of a quarter of a billion dollars.
Franco, one of the finest spirits in fashion lost to illness, would be proud.
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