Jeremy Scott isn’t exactly known for keeping things low key, so the only thing that surprises us about the fact he based his AW20 Moschino collection around one of the least low key figures in history – none other than Marie Antoinette – is the fact that it’s taken him this long to do it.

With invites taking the form of a pink, meticulously decorated cake, guests were transported to the opulent Palace of Versailles via crystal chandeliers, a baroque-inspired backdrop and pink, crushed velvet curtains. And then came the models.

Invoking the spirit of the French queen of all things extra, the likes of Joan Smalls, Kaia Gerber, and Gigi and Bella Hadid were all on the line-up this season, making their way down the runway in a succession of looks dragged out of the 18th century royal court and into the year of our Lord 2020.

Traditional lace-up corsets with wide pannier skirts bearing exaggerated hip padding were emblazoned with anime prints and subverted traditional prints, while dress jackets and trousers were rendered in rich brocade and paired with silk platform boots and pumps. Typically tongue in-cheek Moschino-isms were seen throughout: with 18th century-style dresses crafted from leather and paired with grey hoodies that had been elongated to accommodate one’s pompadour wig, delicate pearls becoming logo-emblazoned necklaces and chain belts, and cute slices of cake and fresh baked baguettes turned into clutch bags. 

As the show neared its climax, Scott turned the camp all the way up to 11, sending models wearing pastel-hued confections out onto the runway and seemingly telling the models wearing them to ham it tf up (s/o Joan Smalls, an icon if ever there were one). Next season, according to the American designer, it’s not about letting them eat cake: it’s about getting them to wear it instead.