By Tab Olsen
First of all, let me say I’m not a devoted follower of fashion. But one day I happened to be on Facebook when a live feed caught my eye. What the heck was this, a Moschino runway show with a 2001: A Space Odyssey theme???
Then I saw one lady walk out with a fringed lampshade on her head. This was surreal! I was mesmerized and couldn’t stop watching… I couldn’t stop laughing, either. 🙂
The classical music and elegant set were right out of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey with its illuminated white floor, Renaissance paintings, ornate French moldings, and Louis XVI dĂ©cor. But the models seemed to be channeling the whimsical “Be Our Guest” scene from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.
Nothing says “Let Them Eat Cake” more than a fashion show that features clothing artfully crafted to resemble furnishings in a European palace of some bygone century. Seriously, Moschino creative director Jeremy Scott transformed his models into everything from cabinets to rugs to harps!
There was a grandfather clock dress, cuckoo clock shoulder pads, a day suit in bright patterns mimicking an Oriental rug, a red quilted bed jacket complete with a filigree headboard, an antique chest of drawers, a black evening gown with ornate gilded picture-frame shoulders and arms, and an outfit that reminded me of the play clothes made from old draperies in The Sound of Music!
If the Moschino models weren’t embodying an item, they were wearing them on their heads. Besides the lampshade, “hats” included an Oriental vase, sheet music, reading light, feather duster, candlestick, BIRD CAGE, and miniature chair.
Wait, no teapots? Yes, there was a teapot! One of the models was carrying a silver teapot “handbag.” There were a lot of other unique handbags, too.
Recurring accessories included keys/keyholes, forks/spoons/knives, hot/cold faucet handles, clocks, gold leaves, harps and doorknockers. The silver platter and the chandelier earrings were easy to spot.
Oh, and one model’s little black miniskirt shirt dress proclaimed: “Gilt without Guilt.” They could be on to something here. Following the mantra of “reduce, reuse, recycle,” we can start turning furniture from old mansions into fabulous new fashions. LOL!
I felt sorry for the poor model whose body was hidden behind the Chinese coromandel screen, though, which wobbled around her as she navigated the runway. What kind of fashion statement was she supposed to be?
In between the quirky designs, there were an array of creative outfits that looked a little more wearable – smart office dresses with pretty piping and button details, day suits in bright patterns, and black evening wear such as an elegant gown with sculpted details. Some resembled old school fashions reminiscent of the golden Hollywood era.
I must admit, Moschino’s imaginative fashions are more appealing than the atrocious designs worn by the narcissistic celebrities at the recent Met Gala. Many of those costumes were utterly ridiculous, absolutely tasteless, and just plain stupid. The wearers were so full of themselves, I bet they didn’t even know people were laughing at them!
But what’s with all the models’ glum expressions – are they supposed to look serious, or sultry, or just not let their beautiful smiles draw the audience’s attention away from their outfits? Some of them came across as downright mean. One of them even reminded me of the wicked stepmother from Cinderella. Although I suppose I’d be in a bad mood, too, if I had to make my public debut wearing a household object on my head!
Jeremy Scott seems like a good sport, willing to put himself on display in a weird outfit like he made his models wear. Rather than simply mention 2001: A Space Odyssey in the show notes, the fashion designer went a step further and took his bow at the end in an iconic red spacesuit – a ringer for the Dr. David Bowman character. Wow!
I never did understand the point of the bedroom scene in the movie. But half a century after its release, 2001: A Space Odyssey has a 92% ranking on Rotten Tomatoes for its “delicate, poetic meditation on the ingenuity—and folly—of mankind.” Like the film, this delightful collection exhibited a bit of both.
I had no idea that fashion shows could be so entertaining!