How Jeremy Scott blew runways away with Blade Runner, fast food and teddies
After more than a decade of viral moments and tongue-in-cheek designs, Jeremy Scott has announced he is stepping down as creative director of Moschino.
From his debut collection for autumn/winter 2014, Scott’s influence on the fashion house was felt immediately.
He took founder Franco Moschino’s love of colour and eccentricity and mixed it with a satirical take on consumerism, which sparked endless social commentary when models graced the runway dressed as McDonald’s workers and crisp packets. In the years that followed, Scott made oversized phone cases shaped like packets of cigarettes or bottles of toilet cleaner the must-have accessory, leading to grown-ups going wild over
He took founder Franco Moschino’s love of colour and eccentricity and mixed it with a satirical take on consumerism
SpongeBob SquarePants and Barbie-themed collections.
Announcing his departure on Instagram, Scott said: “I’ve had a blast creating designs that will live on forever. I am grateful for all the love and support I’ve received over this past decade. As I close this chapter I am filled with excitement and anticipation and can’t wait to share with you all what I have in store for you next.”
In a statement, Moschino praised Scott’s “fearless and show-stopping pop-camp style and incisive humour”.
Born in Missouri in 1975, Scott was determined to work in fashion in Paris and started taking French lessons aged 14. In 1992, he moved to New York to study fashion at Pratt Institute, before relocating to Paris in 1996 to advance his career. However, things didn’t go as planned and he quickly found himself sleeping rough on the metro. Desperate, he decided to set up his self-titled label.
In 1997, Scott showed his first collection, inspired by David Cronenberg’s 1996 film Crash, at Paris Fashion Week. With no money to spend on fabrics, Scott repurposed paper hospital gowns and his models walked barefoot or in heels fashioned out of bandages. His second show, an all-black collection called Rampage, which Scott described as “Blade Runner, trash bags and the apocalypse”, was hosted at cult (and now defunct) Parisian store Colette.
When his third show won the praise of Vogue France, Scott was taken under the wing of British stylist Isabella Blow, who launched Alexander McQueen’s career years earlier.
In 2003, Scott began working with adidas Originals to launch several collaborations, including winged high tops worn by the likes of Kanye West and Blue Ivy, and trainers with pink teddy bears, which went viral after they were worn by rapper Lil Wayne.
While Scott is yet to reveal exactly what’s next for him, his Instagram post makes it clear
that there is something “exciting” in the works.
The designer spent much of his time at Moschino also working on his eponymous label, although in 2019, it was withdrawn from the fashion show schedule. With his Moschino role coming to an end, could it be time to turn his attention back to it?
Speaking to Vogue at the time, Scott hinted that his busy schedule at Moschino made it difficult to balance the two. “I want to be sure I have a nice life – I mean, quality time with people,” he said.
At the time, he also suggested the hiatus may not be indefinite. “I own the company, so I can decide,” Scott said.
Watch this space.