This quirky Moschino jacket was a Sydney op shop find which is versatile for dressing up or down.
As I researched the colourful Italian brand for this post, I realised this is a pre-2008 garment being Moschino Jeans (1986-2008) which is now known as Love Moschino.
Established by Franco Moschino and continued after his death by Rossella Jardini and now Jeremy Scott, the brand is noted for its ‘waist of money’ belts and garbage-bag dresses which gently prod fashion’s conscience.
Franco’s obiturary as published by The Independent says: “ Since its inception in 1983, Moschino has been known for its playful style, one that particularly enjoyed poking fun at its own industry with comical messages on clothing like “Fashion Ready to Where?” or the words “Channel No. 5” inside the image of a TV set on a T-shirt. Cheeky clothing, including teddy bear collars on dresses, trompe l’œil swimsuits, or a jean jacket made from denim pants and a matching leather belt as a collar have all found their way onto the Moschino runway in the past.
“When one thinks of Moschino’s clothes, one thinks of words – puns and rubrics. Moschino belonged to that long line of stylists who use fashion as protest. But rather than protesting against the Vietnam war (Yves Saint Laurent), the Establishment (Vivienne Westwood), environmental abuse (Katherine Hamnett) or even that vainglorious act of gesture politics the Gulf war (Valentino), he protested against the fashion system and its manic consumerism.”
It seems appropriate then, that this Moschino jacket is living on through my 365 day Sew it Again project demonstrating an alternative to manic consumerism by resewing and upcycling existing resources.
The jacket remains in perfect condition, a testament to great design and workmanship, and the colourful and quirky drawings it includes bring pleasure to the eye and heart.
On previous occasions, I have worn it with a cream jumper turned skirt and scarf.
For today’s upcycle, I teamed the jacket with a red wool skirt found in an op shop. The boiled-wool skirt lining was drooping, probably because the wool shrunk after washing. (This is why labels often say dry-clean only, but having been washed it is perfectly wearable and unlikely to shrink further). I trimmed off the bottom of the skirt bottom to use as a neck tie, leaving the new skirt hemline unfinished (the boiled wool shouldn’t fray) and just securing the sideseams with a few hand stitches. I cut and re-hemmed the lining. The cute sheep brooch is by a country Queensland artist, and seemed in-keeping with the character of the jacket.
