It seems obscene to be at a fashion show on the night of the general election in the UK, but hey, we’re a million (okay a couple of thousand) miles away in LA. It’s Moschino’s cruise show and the backstage area, in true Jeremy Scott style, is a weird riot – Courtney Love is stalking the rails, Drag Race favourite Valentina is nursing a glass of champagne, and Kristen Stewart is being followed by posse of models. So far, so LA. It’s a homecoming of sorts for the designer, who is based here, and spends half his time in Milan designing the Italian label, and aptly enough the theme is Las Vegas.
“Cher,” he explains, laughing at his inspiration. “A Vegas icon. There’s a tiny bit of Liberace going on. There’s also the showgirl herself, even if she’s not a named person.” Scott himself combines all these icons otherworldliness with their kind of folk-y roots – they’re also beloved by old ladies, as evidenced by his family front row. “And Nomi Malone and Gina Gershon in Showgirls.” This means cowboy hats, boots, and a lot of rhinestones, often decorating the flames that lick around the hems of jeans or chiffon dresses. Somehow, on models Fernanda Ly and Yuka Mannami, it looks quite chic, while on Miranda Kerr the effect is full glam, and on Slick Woods it looks sick.
All this talk of icons, and LA, has Scott in a pensive mood – there’s a lot of young people who aren’t anywhere close to a coastal metropolis, and he himself grew up in Kansas City, studying French and Japanese to help him escape to the fashion world. “Honestly, it’s always to stay true to that dream,” he says of the advice he’d give to someone in the situation he was once in. “There’s always going to be people who say, no, you’re not good enough, or you don’t have what it takes. Or whatever way they do it, whether they do it to be a bitch or they’re just misguided.” He pauses to adjust one of the full on showgirl feather head dresses that close the show. “So many times, people have told me, if you make this or that, you’ll be a success. But I’ve never wavered. People want me, for me.” He can’t help but laugh at himself - Scott has the sense of humour to match his designs. “It’s a cliché! But it’s the truth.” And off he goes to pair flame print Spongebob bags with his creations.
