Leave it to Jeremy Scott to put a smile on everyone’s faces during another virtual fashion show season. After the success of his wonderfully ornate puppet show, Scott flexed his muscle at filmmaking with an all-star cast of model veterans and bright young things taking the spotlight. The fashion – a whimsical nod to Moschino signatures gone by – covers serious ground. Quite literally. From pastoral fashion modelled by a milkmaid-esque Miranda Kerr, to safari suits with dinosaur tails on Amber Valetta, and Old Hollywood gowns made for Dita Von Teese to pour herself into, here’s everything you need to know about Moschino’s autumn/winter 2021 show.

The casting was exceptional

“There are models and there are muses, and I am very fortunate to have very many muses,” says Jeremy Scott, looking fabulous as always in hot-pink sunglasses that light up Zoom. Moschino shows always draw in a galaxy of fashion stars, but this season Scott called in the big guns for a three-day shoot to capture a mini featurette. Hailey Bieber, Joan Smalls, Dilone, Lily Aldridge, Taylor Hill, Karen Elson and Precious Lee all take a turn in this season’s campy clothing, and there were some major reunions among the supers. “Amber Valetta and Carolyn Murphy hadn’t appeared in a fashion show together for over a decade,” says Scott, grinning. “Then, there’s Shalom Harlow who is basically the Greta Garbo of fashion, so that was a great coup.” When asked who he imagined when designing his latest collection, he quipped, “All of them”. No wonder it’s one hell of a season.

There were many major Moschino-isms

Homages to Franco Moschino, who founded his namesake brand in 1983, came thick and fast throughout the autumn/winter 2021 edit. The cloud print worn by Kerr, who moonlights as a modern milkmaid, was a Moschino signature reworked numerous times over the years, including on Moschino store walls and books. When mashed together with the cow print, on Soo Joo Park and Kirsty Hume’s outfits, it became pastoral fashion, complete with windmill hats and barn-yard bags. From countryside chic to safari style, Scott subverted the quintessential Moschino “survival” jacket, chock with high-fashion tools and beauty essentials, which fans still obsess over. “Franco loved that surrealism, that tongue in cheek, and that that kind of trompe-l’œil effect…” shares Scott, as though describing the qualities that make himself a joyous designer beloved by models the world over.

‘The Women’ was the starting point

After last season’s marionette show, Scott conjured up the idea of an old-school salon presentation inspired by the technicolor Manhattan fashion show scene in the 1939 George Cukor film The Women. “It felt kind of meta to have fashion looking at fashion,” muses Scott, who found the creative control that comes with making a film, rather than a live runway spectacular, compelling. From the whimsical scene changes to the close-ups of Moschino’s ever-inventive accessories – including beaded cat headpieces (worn by Harlow), boot-shaped purses (carried by Stella Maxwell) and dramatic evening scarves shaped like gloves (on Lee) – this attention-to-detail paid off. “I love being able to manipulate reality to make it fantasy,” he winks. “That’s the joy of Hollywood.”

There’s always a place for gowns in the Moschino world

“I’d never think there’s not a place to dress up,” asserts Scott of the abundance of gowns, some painterly with brush strokes, others dripping with embellishment. “I’d love to see someone in the little flamingo cocktail dress, just fluttering about. I think that would definitely be a conversation starter.” Pray for the return of red carpets as these dresses deserve some serious air time.

Jungle Red is the colour of the season

Scott took Jungle Red, the newest nail colour coveted by society ladies in The Women, and transformed it into the shade of the season. “It’s a colour for power,” he says, referring to the way the characters take back control of their lives. “It’s about self-fulfilling actualisation. I’m a firm believer that if there’s something that makes you feel strong, confident and in charge, then wear it. I love the ability of colour to be able to do that.” There was nothing wallflower-ish about Von Teese’s queen of hearts dress or the glossy lip shade amping up Small’s screen-siren pout, but this season Scott’s designs seemed to really ooze confidence, and it looked good.