Moschino; What’s Going On?
On every front row seat of Moschino’s spring/summer 2015 show, a blonde Barbie doll, dressed in the first look that designer Jeremy Scott sent out on the catwalk, stood in a box which proclaimed her to be “The Most Moschino Barbie Doll Ever!” However, what followed was an entire army of life-size Moschino Barbie Dolls, as kitsch and fun as Fall’s red and yellow McDonald’s theme.
“Like every girl and gay boy, I loved Barbie,” Scott said after the show, sporting a t-shirt that read “Moschino for Ages 5 and Over.” “It’s hard not to; she’s practically perfect,” he went on. “She’s a good big sister, she’s had every job in the world, worn every outfit. And it’s just joyful. Her and I share the same things: we just want to bring joy to people.”
This, then, must have felt like the realisation of Scott’s childhood dreams (and probably the dreams of more than a few members of the audience). As Aqua’s notorious “Barbie Girl” blasted through the speakers, all the Barbie dolls you could ever want were on display. There was Roller Barbie, skating along the catwalk in pink shorts, a cropped top and sweatband, whilst aerobic Barbie, complete with hand weights, strutted forth in a pink tracksuit.
On the slightly less sporty side of things, you had Cowgirl Barbie in jeans and a knotted shirt, alongside Traveler Barbie and her little pink suitcase and Business CEO Barbie in a sparkling pink suit.
There’s been a huge amount of controversy around Barbie over the past few years; it is a well known fact that her proportions are such that if she was a real life woman, she would not be able to stand or walk, and there are also quite obvious questions to be asked about her “image” as a woman. But this collection wasn’t about that; it was about fun, and what fun it was.
Although the overwhelming colour was pink, the palette wasn’t one dimensional; several looks felt like Barbie Goes on Holiday, with colourfully patterned poolside dresses and little plastic handbags. One of these Barbies was even dressed in a terrycloth towel dress and turban, studded with diamantés in that quintessentially Barbie style.
Elsewhere, gold and black made for a Barbie with a hint of Chanel – and what a mix that was. The little skirt suits were embellished entirely in sequins (trust Barbie to transform a Chanel classic into a fiesta of glitz) whilst a gold trench coat felt both classic and trashy.
Scott also tapped in to the very contemporary trend for transparency, pairing sheer black blouses wrapped in gold chain-prints with narrow black pants; glamorous, tough girl Barbie, dripping with big plastic chains.
As is always the case with Jeremy Scott’s madcap, wonderful collections, the accessories were really the pieces to die for. Handbags were inspired by blow-up pool toys, belts were bold and plastic, iPhone cases were fashioned into pink hair-combs.
Towards the end of the show, the looks were even more extravagant (if that is possible), with puffball skirts and big, voluminous gowns, rendered in bright shades and finished with a huge hair bow to match.
The great thing about Barbie is she can be whatever you dress her up to be; doll’s are something to play with and also a way to live out your dreams, and Scott took that to completely new heights.
Everything was fun, everything was sexy girly kitsch; there are people out there who aren’t a fan of what Jeremy Scott does, but no-one can deny that the fashion industry hasn’t seen anything like this in years, and I for one love everything about Scott’s big Moschino vision.
