June 2012. Moschino is holding its Autumn/Winter 2013 menswear catwalk show in the aisles of the food hall of Milan's Excelsior shopping emporium, sending out models clad in suits, cardigans and shirts decorated with prints of Budweiser-like Moschino logos and "Fresh" detergent (spoof of Ariel washing powder). The garments reference at times Pop Art pieces such as Andy Warhol's Brillo Soap Pads, while hinting at consumer culture.
Fast-forward to the recent London Fashion Week where the supermarket/consumer culture theme reappeared on Anya Hindmarch's runway. The British designer turned her runway into a barcode-printed conveyor-belt on which salesmen danced and glamorous ladies shopped pushing their metal carts. The products weren't real, though, but they were turned into colourful handbags.
Kellogg’s Tony the Tiger appeared on a blue background on a tote; Bourbon cookies were transformed into small metallic bags, while Ariel/Daz laundry detergent boxes were turned into clutches.
In some cases the starting point for the bags was the shape of the packaging as it happened for a tube of McVitie's digestive biscuits that was turned into a pencil case-like bag; in others the logos, colours and symbols on the packaging were instead employed for the leather intarsia handwork.
Hindmarch stated she was inspired by the idea of finding beauty in the banal, explaining the enthusiastically playful mood of the show came instead from the will to celebrate small things and "get happy", as Judy Garland sang in the background, a feeling also evoked by the smiley faces (for that rave touch from 1989...) replicated on scarves and bags.
Hindmarch undoubtedly provided some entertainment with such a presentation and you can guess her soft leather bags in bright colours will soon appear on many editorials, but the designs also raise a few issues.
First there is a copyright problem here, and you naturally wonder if (and in case how much) the designer had to pay any of these companies to use their logos.
Second - after that instant thrill of joy at the Pop Art colours - you feel like stopping and thinking if turning yourself into an unpaid walking advertising board is really worth it. Third, this is not new at all: the history of fashion features indeed some glorious examples of novelty bags throughout the 1900s shaped like bottles, pieces of fruit or rolled glossy magazines.
In many ways this collection proves the fashion industry is completely "Lost in a Supermarket" as The Clash would say: it pretends indeed to be commenting upon consumerism while bulimically feeding off it, since, after all, the collection is using a product to encourage to buy another product (a IT bag, a new "must have" accessory).
That said, there is something hilariously convenient in such a collection: usually you have a guilty pleasure moment eating a digestive biscuit or buying a trendy bag, in this case you may have them both in one go.
The theme of consumption continued also in Milan where Jeremy Scott at Moschino opened his first collection as Creative Director of the Italian fashion house with Chanel jackets in McDonald's signature packaging colours, a top with the slogan "Over 20 million served", a restaurant uniform and a chain-handle leather bag shaped like a Happy Meal box.
In a way it was as if Scott had evoked the McDonald's Lady portrayed by Chinese digital artist Zhu Haibo (Zhuzhu).
American critics pointed out how this could have been intended as a provocation to Italian food culture, forgetting how, in the '80s, Milan was the home town of the Paninari, the fast food lovers celebrated by the Pet Shop Boys in their 1985 hit, who favoured Moncler padded jackets and Timberland boots.
Pop culture was celebrated through redundantly unnecessary SpongeBob SquarePants designs, Moschino's signature belts were used for layered bondage looks and, towards the end of the show, Scott opted for "consumer couture" with a series of duchesse satin gowns made with a fabric inspired by food packaging - from Budweiser to crisps, cereals, jelly bears, baked beans, cheesy bits and other assorted criminal delicacies in Tutti Frutti flavours.
The show culminated in a wedding gown with prints of nutritional facts labels complete with additives and artificial flavourings, a sort of variation of Schiaparelli's signature newspaper prints.
This pop and fun collection about a sugar rush was somehow linked to the A/W 13 menswear collection and didn't seem to have the satirical power of Franco Moschino (who till inspired the funny slongas "Fur Real" on a mink coat and "Cash Cow" on a leather suit with cow prints).
Shame these looks that seemed designed not by Jeremy Scott but by Scaredy Squirrel, the stacker working at the Stash 'n' Hoard supermarket in the eponymous animation series, were not employed to comment on fast fashion, but they were probably thought with pop celebrities à la Katy Perry (who was sitting in the front row at Moschino) in mind.
So, yes, barcode madness and supermarket culture are officially two Autumn/Winter trends, but don't complain if, while walking around carrying Hindmarch's bags or clad in a Moschino gown, you may end up looking like Captain Dash from that infamous '70s Italian TV advert. Then don't you dare saying we didn't warn you...
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