What Do Jackie O, Aliens, and Lichtenstein Have in Common?

It’s funny that Gucci and Moschino are so often slated after one another on the first day of Milan Fashion Week. One is an enigmatic, make-you-think brand who couches deep philosophical inquiries in sartorial terms, while the other is extremely literal, offering shallow explanations of pop culture phenomenons. You can guess which description applies to which brand.

Moschino is about fun and fancy, not philosophy, and has never made its audience struggle to ascertain origin meanings or clandestine messages. What you see is what you get. In the past, Jeremy Scott has served up McDonalds, SpongeBob Squarepants, Barbie, the Looney Tunes, even cleaning supplies. And while it might not be to everyone’s taste, his tongue-in-cheek aesthetic has an enormous following.

For Fall/Winter 2018, Moschino turned its attentions to both extraterrestrial and regular versions of Jackie O’s iconic look, with 1960s housewives serving as a secondary supporting theme. Vivid body paint transformed the models into aliens, but the clothes were a retread of classic 60s styles – mod sheath dresses, Lichtenstein printed looks, crisp matching skirt suits, pillbox hats, and paisley frocks.

Moschino is about fun and fancy, not philosophy, and has never made its audience struggle to ascertain origin meanings or clandestine messages.

His final selection of gowns, done in candy colors that juxtaposed sequined surfaces against either jagged cut-outs or silk insets, felt more in line with the 1980s than the 1960s. As is his custom, the Moschino finale was rife with major model moments, with Kaia Gerber, Joan Smalls, Bella Hadid, and Gigi Hadid vamping in their Stepford wife looks. There was nothing new about the clothes, except maybe the way they were presented, but for Scott to build on a sophisticated foundation for the collection rather than a garish one represented progress.