BOTTOMS UP!

Mention Moschino, and words like “playful”, “tongue-in-cheek” and “unconventional” come to mind. Jeremy Scott, the creative force behind the Italian fashion house, teamed up with American beer brand Budweiser for a 15-item limited-edition capsule collection that perfectly encapsulates both brands’ iconic logos. Prior to the fun-filled launch party held at Shanghai’s The Paramount caught up with the designer himself, who shared more about the special collection, what luxury is today, and his aspirations for the year ahead. Describe the Moschino x Budweiser collection in three words. Fun, pop, twist! How did the collaboration come about, and what was the creative process like? It started with the Budweiser-inspired look I did for my debut collection at Moschino, which was most recently displayed at the “Camp: Notes on Fashion” exhibition at The Met. It was around then that Budweiser asked if I would be interested in doing a project with them and I thought,‘Why not let that original creation be a starting point?’With this capsule collection, everything is a little more accessible for everyone! The synergy and timing were right. Which are the must-haves from this collection? The tracksuit, for sure! But you know, there’s something for everyone. A fun pair of earrings or phone case could be the perfect conversation starter. Everyone enjoys a little bit of playfulness sometimes, just to different degrees. You’ve collaborated with many brands across various fields. Is there a specific industry or brand you’ve yet to work with but would love to do something with? I’m always open to things that are unexpected—to me, that’s the fun of it. I designed a car, a nightclub, baby strollers, but I haven’t had the chance to design an amusement park! Yes, that would be it... I think that would be really groovy! I have so many ideas right now. How do you see your role, and Moschino’s, in the fashion industry now? I always think that my role in fashion is to bring humour, to bring a smile to people’s faces. A bit of levity in the serious world we live in, not just in fashion, is really important right now. To me, fashion is a luxury and I don’t mean in terms of the finest leather, exotic furs and couture—fashion is something we don’t really need. It is something we want, because it inspires us or brings joy and hopefulness. It is escapism, if you will. I’m able to give people that magical gift that fashion provides; that is my role and it is important that I try to do that well every season. The last decade has seen cultural and technological shifts. Has this in any way affected you as a designer? Not at all. I’ve been doing what I’ve been doing for the last 25 years and it’s been really consistent. I’ve always been colourful, eccentric, fun-loving and outgoing. I’ve always been for gender-neutral clothes—both wearing and designing them. So for me, it’s like the world and pop culture have finally caught up to me because I used to seem really out of place. Complete this sentence: 2020 will be a year of... Revolution. It has probably already started...