Love Moschino [previously Moschino Jeans] is the main diffusion line to the Moschino luxury brand [founded in 1983 by Franco Moschino and pronounced, for arguments sake, Mos-kee-noh with a soft n] that makes clothes and accessories for men and women [and even kids and babies].
There is also a more workwear-focused and less outrageous women’s Boutique Moschino collection [that may be the true chic line of the trio], but Love Moschino’s main purpose is to provide most of the fun and irreverence that Moschino is famous for, at a fraction of the price. The price drop inevitably results in a slight reduction in quality [don’t expect calfskin handbags] and a toning down of some of Moschino’s wilder eccentricities [don’t expect hamburger handbags either].
Eccentricity sums up Moschino’s approach to fashion design and it hasn’t dimmed at all in Jeremy Scott’s decade as Moschino creative director. Watching the Italian fashion house’s runways shows is part awe-inspiring, part farce. Scott honours and bests fashion tradition but also winks at its arch commercialism. Some critics will raise an eyebrow at what they see as Scott’s and Moschino’s hypocrisy; it’s one thing to make fun of the system, but selling leather bags at £700 hardly eradicates world poverty or encourages people to think sustainably.
Then again, Moschino’s pop culture spin has proven prescient in recent years with increased collaborations between high street and designer brands, a dissolution of the cultural mainstream and long-held topes about populist and outsider art, and a disruption of traditional marketing channels that places big brands at the whim of influencers and likes.
For style comparisons, one could look to fellow Italian fashion brand Versace, which goes light on the irony but equally heavy on the unashamed ostentation of its products. Gianni Versace’s dresses graced the red carpet of many awards ceremonies. Only Moschino seems intent on upending the show.
Founder Franco Moschino enjoyed satirizing the industry, but this has been turned into the modus operandi under Scott who may not garner Empathy and feeling from industry insiders, but who is nevertheless much admired.
Design
Cheap and chic helps define the Love Moschino stance to taking on the system from within. Prices in the £200 range offer a budget alternative to luxury goods and focus more on the elementals – bright colours, bold designs, solid hardware, and an ostentatious logo replacing a more sophisticated design element in the main line.
Character and idea-driven design frequently puts practicality in the shade at Moschino, but as with many premium brands [Coach and Michael Kors are alternate buys here] the looks in Love Moschino bags and wallets are conservative and emulate the colour and texture of more expensive leather models from across luxury sector.
Some examples of women’s bags from the Love Moschino collection: The Sweet Summer Raffia Shoulder Bag has Chanel in its sights with its pink crosshatching reminiscent of the French brand’s summer blazer, although snakeskin [well, polyurethane print] and raffia are more in the Gucci mould.
The Shiny Quilted Shoulder bag might have benefitted from a more creative name; it aspires to quilted offerings from Valentino to Alexander McQueen although again Gucci’s GG is the go-to padded variant.
Finally, the Nylon Hobo Bag is a Prada spin-off [nylon, machine-cut but informal lines] that is the surprise of the collection.
Low Price & High Quality
Love Moschino really benefits from its unique position within the premium sector. The main line is renowned the world over but is not a label most aspirational shoppers will choose [owing to its slightly outsider status].
Love Moschino bags then, retailing at around the £200 mark [a huge reduction on other premium retailers like MK and Coach] can play on that status, with the low price deemed as reflective of that repute.
Yes, some may look down on Love Moschino, but if you’re reasonably young of heart and don’t really care what long-standing fashion houses thinks, then you’ll love this reasonably priced, quietly radical, and proper entry into the world of designer bags.
Quality is also good. Of course, the collection includes a lot of polyurethane, which is never going to provide a like-for-like replacement for the best Italian leather. There is a suppleness, sturdiness, and deep sheen to quality leather products that manufacturers are only slowly getting to replicate in vegan products,
But polyurethane is a top quality and sustainable alternate that fits in with the plastic/fashion directive of the brand. Construction will be good but always buy from reputable suppliers.
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