Love Moschino [LM] is the ‘little sister’ to the world-renowned Italian designer label Moschino. The brand doesn’t have a long and storied history [it was founded in 1983] and instead can be shoe-horned into the explosion in the fashion industry that took place in the eighties, and that brought designer names and their supermodel muses into the public conscience and newspapers.
As such, Moschino is not about playing the ‘long game’ with any references to the house’s legacy or signature pieces from old, and neither does it aim to suit stuffy, conservative convention.
Founder Franco Moschino was much like current creative lead Jeremy Scott in his professed disdain for fashion’s rules. Luxury – through Moschino’s critical lens – is a classic case of the emperor’s new clothes – the idea that designers are selling high priced items to a public, and that both are fooled into believing their creations are anything but a recycling of old themes; a creation and promotion of ideas and products that – in themselves – have little intrinsic value.
Obviously, the Moschino machine is not a completely objective observer and critique of this phenomenon; its dresses and women’s bags can sell for the same £800 [and more] price tags for which you would expect to pay for conventional brands.
Moschino’s masterstroke is in selling and upending at the same time. Scott’s collection from 2016 could be the apotheosis of the brand’s [and Scott’s] vision. Red dresses with SALE emblazoned on the front and riffs on credit card or cash iconography. It’s all done beautifully; sometimes even artistically. The clothes could be by Channel [with a slightly crisper cut] but with a sociological edge that convicts the industry of gluttony and crassness, whilst also implicating both Moschino and wearer.
As lovers of Moschino will attest, the brand is closer to the arch-fabulist approach of fellow Italian brand Versace. Also desired by rich celebrities for red carpet events, Versace differs in that it takes its luxury [even its vulgarity] very seriously, while Moschino, whilst making clothes that critique the values of consumer culture, are also about fun colours, irreverence, and sex-appeal.
French Designer John Paul Gaultier is another clear comparison, straddling the line between beauty and the absurd, quality and kitsch, Moschino nevertheless remains the most committed to making polemical statements out of said glorious creations
Scott is, in some ways, the slightly warped mirror of compatriot Tom Ford. At Gucci in the 2000s, Ford garnered praise for bringing sex appeal to the previously rather stuffy confines of a Gucci fashion show. While Scott’s shows are also sexy, they also dip into the realms of the surreal with a visual palette that is cup-cake gaudy, bombastic and equal parts urban modern and 50s nostalgia.
What are Love Moschino Bags Made from?
Love Moschino bags are made from polyurethane – a type of artificial leather that – at first and second glance – can pass for the real thing. Materials are a serious topic in fashion these days, with most designer houses having realigned their values in unison with the public and corporate commitment to sustainability. Parent company AEFFE – and therefore the Moschino brand – does not have a strong public focus on sustainability, instead prioritizing – in the Moschino brand – idiosyncrasy and modernity. That’s not to say that Scott and Moschino don’t have something to say on the matter. Carboard-lined runways and cardboard box-inspired models anyone?
Polyurethane, while not the choice of those with money to burn, is generally good for the environment. While it’s a petroleum-based plastic [and petroleum, if you haven’t heard, is not very good for the planet] the product itself, applied in the manufacturing of accessories, is long lasting, thanks in part to the protective qualities it provides.
Other premium and diffusion line brands also use polyurethane, and in Love Moschino’s case, the faux finish somewhat compliments the brand’s intentional ‘plastic’ stance
How much do Love Moschino Bags cost?
Discounts notwithstanding, and in line with Love Moschino’s youthful focus, polyurethane construction and diffusion line status, a Love Moschino bag straight from the company website will set you back [from] around £300.
There are other reasons why you’ll be paying a lot less than the standard £800 up that you would pay for Moschino leather bags. Design is one factor. Jeremy Scott is a very busy man and getting clothes and accessories onto the international runways every season with subtle and sophisticated takes on the Moschino ‘look’ will be his main priority. For the results you get with a Moschino bag [and they’re frequently like nothing else in designer accessories] you pay a pretty price.
According to AEFFE’s own public reports, LM has taken a hit recently, with sales of clothing items having a negative financial impact on the whole brand.
It’s somewhat easy to see why: Moschino sits at a unique place in higher fashion but the youth-focused creations of LM, where colour and energy are key words, must fight for their place in a market dominated by sportswear behemoths and the current might of streetwear staples like Off-White and Supreme. But that’s not to demean what LM has to offer. Scott has been charged with returning the clothing line to a position of prominence with greater focus cracking denim and streetwear, while the accessories line remains strong.
In Love Moschino an accessory or clothing item brings punch and colour to a casual or semi casual wardrobe that still has the potential to make you stand out from the crowd. In a world of sportswear and urban-casual over-saturation, LM’s adherence [in a slightly watered-down form] to the Moschino mantra means people will be asking questions and nodding heads just as much as they admire your look. Love Moschino bags and wallets are a way to parade that look without over committing.
Love Moschino bags meet the Moschino stance halfway. Targeting the youth market means colours remain bold: pinks, reds, purples and thick – frequently gold-plated – hardware. From shoulder bags down, the Love Moschino emblem dominates or is a key component of many of the designs. Expect crossbody bags to be on the chunky side, in keeping with the robust and street-friendly aesthetic. Studded bags [square or bulleted] might be in a heart shape or arranged to spell out the maker’s eponymous name. Quilted bags will get you pretty close to the iconoclastic Moschino hot spot. As a rule, most Moschino bags are either rounded or exaggerated – as opposed to the box design you might find in a Gucci collection or the laisses faire volume of a YSL creation – in keeping with the buxom iconography of 50s Hollywood that is frequently a reference.