‘I think people see things on Instagram and they like it and they don’t understand why it’s not coming out of their phone. So I was trying to get as close to that as possible,’ Scott says backstage pre-show in Milan as models dressed in black leather and painted logos rush around him.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the curtain, showgoers are filing in and, yes, Instagramming the elaborate world he's created: A room strewn with gilded wreckage, overturned tables, giant gold mirrors, sprawling chaise lounges and opulent chandeliers. Here, he talks us through what may be one of his most memorable collections yet.
‘I was really thinking of the bonfire of the vanities in 1497 in Florence here in Italy. I was thinking about this period in history where they took all the luxury, all the gowns, the paintings, the musical instruments, the mirrors — everything gilded, everything fancy — and they threw it into a bonfire to contrast and go against that. And I thought about how these evening gowns are being burned up and disintegrating, but you can see the actual underpinnings of how they’re constructed, the couture, the actual boning. You get this other kind of beauty as well as this decaying glamour.’
‘It starts with the biker gang girl. The tough biker with the leather caps and painted logos, storming into the palazzo that’s been destroyed and burned out. And then of course comes all the burned-out evening gowns.’
‘I feel like I never thought I was American until I lived in Europe and then I was like, "Wow I'm really American." Part of what I do and part of what America does is inform a global culture. Things that are understood throughout — whether you’re in Zimbabwe or Milan or Paris — can all be understood because of the way things are translated. And this iconography allows me to open my arms and let people in and not have this feeling of exclusion, like, “This isn’t something you should know about or be interested in.” I think it’s important to be inclusive in that way.’
‘I obviously started with all the fast food and junk food which is a very American thing, and then played around with Spongebob Squarepants. I also recently played with Barbie, who is an American icon and gave her every possible rendition. And then I started doing things with street culture and hip hop, which is a very profound American thing which changed and shaped a lot of fashion. I just love playing with these references.’
'It’s interesting because I’m the first person to have offered "buy now" from the runway when I started at Moschino. I’ve been offering these capsule collections where immediately you can click and buy the pieces from our runway show and it’s in stores tomorrow morning and lots of other stores that we participate with and sell to. So I find it fascinating that it’s actually becoming a huge conversation and being at the forefront of it, I’m into it and interested.
'I think everyone is just really into the idea and it’s been great. It’s been a very successful thing for us not only in financial terms, but in a communication way as well. So if there’s a seismic change in fashion, I’m ready for it.’
PHOTOS: MATT LEVER
