Arguably the most innovative of socially distant fashion shows this season, Moschino’s creative director, Jeremy Scott, has used puppets to showcase his latest ready-to-wear collection.
Scott displayed his haute couture on 30-inch marionettes before a star-studded front row of puppets resembling some of fashions biggest names, including Vogue and Elle Editors-in-Chief, Anna Wintour and Nina Garcia.
Each puppet, which was created in collaboration with ‘The Muppets’-born Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, strutted across the miniature catwalk in pieces that, despite their doll-like size, certainly did not miss any attention to detail.
Prominent trends within this collection include oversized bows, contrasting materials and an abundance of ruffles, feathers and corset-style blouses. One thing was consistent throughout all of these pieces – the visibility of design lines.
This conscious choice, which appears to almost expose the construction of the garments, was Scott’s method of ‘showing human contact, thought and process, because this has been a humanizing experience globally we’ve all had to endure’.
The Moschino SS21 show was largely influenced by the Théâtre de la Mode: a travelling exhibition created by leading Paris designers following the devastation of the Second World War.
They used rationed fabric to create couture designs displayed on dolls in an effort to raise funds for war survivors and revive the French fashion industry.
Scott’s ode to this classic scene of miniature mannequins is not only a convenient solution for socially distant shows, but it also offers some much-needed optimism.
Drawing inspiration from the 1940’s society, that flourished and celebrated fashion after dark times, is a clear message of hope that we shall do so again.
Whilst some suspected that the use of puppets was a political statement, Scott has denied this. He explained that he wanted to evoke the ‘whimsical’ side of fashion, transporting his audience into a dreamlike atmosphere with the ‘element of fantasy’ that usually surrounds his shows.
What is both a classic reinvention of French tradition and an innovative solution for current limitations, Moschino’s SS21 show seems to offer a future for fashion in our post-pandemic world.
