It was only last week that Sarah Mower told Another magazine that London Fashion Week can no longer be ignored by the industry and now, that sentiment really rings true.
The British Fashion Council have confirmed that Stella McCartney isn't the only brand choosing to show in London this season as Moschino Cheap & Chic and British heritage brand Belstaff have both decided to follow suit. While the Moschino mainline will continue to show in Milan, Rosella Jardini, the brand's creative director, was confident that London "will be the appropriate platform for [Cheap & Chic] to grow whilst still remembering its roots."
Life is sweet for Garance Doré. When she's not shooting for ELLE UK, she's being flown all over the world by different brands and last year saw her collaborate with Gap and it looks like life isn't slowing down. This week she revealed on her blog that she has just shot the latest campaign for Love Moschino. If that wasn't enough, she even manage to bag lunch at the brand's artistic director, Rosella Jardini's house.
In keeping with their tongue-in-cheek vibe, Moschino Cheap & Chic really went to town and played upon the opening of their new hotel - Maison Moschino, in Milan's Viale Monte Grappa - at their AW10 runway show. The idea behind Rosella Jardini and her playful team was to portray "all of the different women who come out of the hotel," the designer explained after the show. In case you were wondering, this included the Chanel lady - complete with quilted handbag and chain-detail tweed jacket - and the Hermés woman, with a comical black Kelly bag balanced upside down on top of her head.
Alongside the fashion-insider jokes were some shopaholic gimmicks - paper shopping bags with the word 'full' and 'fash off' emblazoned for all to see - and towards the finale, Jardini sent out two ruffled maid-style outfits and an animal-print ensemble, consisting of matching coat, heels, bag and hood...complete with cutesy ears. It might not have been the most serious fashion show in Milan, however seeing a bit of humour on the runway never did go amiss, and seeing the models act out their varied characters throughout the show made for a refreshing break from the economy-influenced seasons we've been seeing of late. Add to that British pop sensation Pixie Lott providing a performance and Italian actress Asia Argento as DJ, and without a doubt Moschino Cheap & Chic gave a great performance.
Designer Rosella Jardini won't be brought down by today's tough times. She's up for peace - and showed it by shaping the gold back straps of a model's LBD into a peace sign. She think's life's a bowl of cherries - and thinks they're best shown off on the top half of a babydoll dress. And she's up for playing around - most specifically, by mixing and matching patterns in the most upbeat fashion we've seen on the runway this season.
The Spring '10 Moschino collection showed off the brand's signature tromp l'oeil details. A simple black dress featured white stitching that emulated a trench coat, for example. But our favourite sunny pieces were the Bermuda-Barbie mini dresses that made us want to be young again. Oh, wait. We are still young, so let's forget about the whole mess and go have some fun.
Once again, another designer chooses to skip the 80s trend. Thank you, Rosella Jardini, thank you very much. Besides the impeccable makeup at Moschino (a la Dita von Teese), there was rosette-laden outerwear, waist-embellished evening wear and a dress or two fit for a princess on the runway in Milan.
