A great copy is better than a bad original. Such was a slogan and motto of Moschino founder Franco Moschino, the man who reimagined Italian fashion in the 80s and early 90s, rebelling against luxury and commercialism with wit, imitation and humour. Famously filling his shop windows with opinions on racism, animal welfare and the AIDS crisis, the provocateur sent designs down the runway that included a belt reading “this is a waist of money” and a shirt with wrap-around straitjacket sleeves adorned with a “for fashion victims only” slogan. Having trained as a painter and began his career as a fashion illustrator, Moschino had an eye for the visual, creating campaigns that were like surrealist collages, self-aware and rarely featuring clothing – they didn’t simply sell products, but ideas. A humanitarian passionate about social issues, his ads included words such as “Enough! The sea is not your toilet” and “No to racism”. Despite his career being cut short by his death in 1994, in his time in the industry Moschino made a name for himself as a true fashion revolutionary.
