Jeremy Scott for Moschino at the Pitti Uomo 88 in Florence

Interview to the enfant terrible of fashion

A half-shaven head. On the other half, a Mohawk running from ear to ear. An ironic expression on his face and elfish eyes. He wears tons of metal necklaces beneath his black leather jacket, the embodiment of an unconventional spirit which, as the expression goes, fits him like a glove.

A touch of madness and entrepreneurial spirit, great sense of humor in a world where most people take themselves very seriously, he trusts his instinct but is very reliable and methodical when it comes to his job.

He mixes and matches and draws inspiration from mass consumer products, such as a potato chips bag or a can of tomatoes, to design a crinoline or a sheath dress and, above all, he breaks the rules.

And, what’s more, Jeremy Scott has never denied his passion for Franco Moschino, the founder of the well-known fashion house, who passed away in 1994. After all, Scott shares the irreverent sense of humor that the unforgettable Italian designer had brought to his fashion and to the whole fashion system (Stop to the Fashion System and No Creativity Without Kaos are two of his most popular slogans).

Born in 1974 and raised on a farm in Kansas City, Missouri, Jeremy Scott grew up devouring the Italian editions of Vogue, watching cartoons and TV series and switching channels from one commercial to another. At a very young age, he moved to New York City and attended the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn for fashion design. He graduated with a collection dedicated to the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

However, he didn’t see New York as his point of arrival. So he headed to Paris, the city that welcomes creative and talented people with open arms.

His first collection consisted of hospital uniforms made of paper: the first prêt-à-jeter fashion show. In Paris, he worked as assistant in the Jean Paul Gaultier, Christian Louboutin and Stephen Jones fashion houses and made a name for himself by creating fun and irreverent collections that recalled those designed by the great Schiaparelli, Castelbajac and Moschino. He collaborated with Adidas, Longchamp, Swatch, Smart and even Cybex, the German stroller manufacturer.

And now, we will have the chance to see his sparkling wonderland sent down the runway here in Florence, and we will certainly experience a neon-induced surge of adrenalin. 

I’m thinking about your sense of humor and that of Franco Moschino, which seemed so revolutionary in his days. In your opinion, is humor the right approach to today’s fashion design?
The underlying element of Moschino has always been humor. I think that I’ve just brought that back to the forefront with a modern sensibility. Pop culture is the dominant culture that we live in today and for sure it’s part of my work.

You left Paris to move back to Los Angeles. A bit odd, isn’t it? Why?
Because I feel in love with the city, I feel in love with the color of the sky, Los Angeles is the land of make-believe and the Wild West. I love that you can create your own destiny here and be whatever you want it to be!

Your style is definitely irreverent. Can fashion be a bearer of social and cultural messages, reaching beyond the mere appearance of a dress?
Oh, I sure hope so. If not, I’ve been living in a state of delusion!

Your greatest success.
Being happy.

Your first memory of fashion.
Reading “Details” magazine when I was a kid.

How would your autobiography begin?
Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away…..

What is it that you can’t stop doing?
Apparently interviews.

Three things you love, three things you hate.
I love weekends
I hate deadlines. I love sunny days. I hate rainy days. I love “love”. I hate “hate”.

What would you have been, had you not become a designer?
A popstar.

What inspires you?
The world around me!

Whom would you invite to the single best dinner of your life?
Madonna, Marilyn Monroe and Cleopatra.

The woman in history that you would have enjoyed dressing?
Marie Antoinette.

What luxury do you allow yourself?
A private chef.

A crazy thing you’ve done for work?
All I do are crazy things for work!

What word would you use to describe your style?
Fun!

Your music and movie playlist.
All Madonna.
All Fellini.

What do you do when you’re not working?
When am I ever not working ?!!