Franco Moschino facts for kids

Franco Moschino (born February 27, 1950 – died September 18, 1994) was a famous Italian fashion designer. He is best known for starting his own fashion company, Moschino. His designs were often playful, colorful, and sometimes even made fun of traditional fashion.

Early Life and Education

Franco Moschino was born in Abbiategrasso, a town in Lombardy, Italy. This town is about 22 kilometers (14 miles) from Milan. His family owned a metal factory, and his father hoped Franco would work there.

However, Franco was more interested in art. He dreamed of becoming a painter. In 1968, he moved to Milan and joined the Brera Academy to study art. To pay for his studies, he worked as a freelance illustrator. He drew pictures for fashion companies and magazines. This experience made him interested in fashion. He then left the art academy to study at the Marangoni Institute, a fashion school.

After finishing his fashion studies in 1971, Moschino worked as an illustrator for Gianni Versace. He stayed with Versace for six years. From 1977 to 1982, he designed clothes for an Italian brand called Cadette.

Starting His Own Fashion Brand

A Franco Moschino wool dress made from heavy men's suit fabric, 1990.

In 1983, Franco Moschino decided to start his own company, Moonshadow. Later that year, he launched his first fashion line, called Moschino Couture!

At first, he designed casual clothes and jeans. But his fashion line quickly grew. He began designing many different types of clothing. This included lingerie, fancy evening wear, shoes, men's clothing, and even perfumes. In 1988, he launched a more affordable line called Cheap and Chic.

Moschino's Unique Style

Moschino's designs were very creative and often quite unusual. For example, he made a black denim miniskirt with plastic fried eggs on the bottom edge. He also designed a quilted jacket decorated with bottle caps. Some of his accessories included earrings shaped like plug sockets. He even made tops out of safety pins!

People sometimes called him the "Jean-Paul Gaultier of Italian fashion." This was because both designers created very innovative styles. However, Moschino explained that their styles were different. Gaultier often experimented with new fabrics and shapes. Moschino, on the other hand, used basic shapes and traditional methods. He then added his own unique and often funny twists.

Moschino also liked to playfully mock high fashion. For example, he once embroidered "Expensive Jacket" in gold letters on the back of a fancy cashmere jacket. Another time, he put "Bull Chic" on a matador-style outfit. He even made fun of classic fashion items, like the famous Chanel jacket. He would add bright and unusual decorations to them. Many people loved his bold and humorous approach. They rushed to wear his clothes, making him very successful. He became famous in the very industry he sometimes made fun of!

The year before he passed away, Moschino worked to raise money. He helped hospices, which are special places that care for children with AIDS.

Later Years and Passing

In 1992, Franco Moschino had surgery for a health issue. He passed away on September 18, 1994. He died at his home near a lake in Brianza, Italy. His death was due to a heart problem. It was later shared that his death was related to complications from an illness.

Franco Moschino is buried in his family's burial plot. This is at the Cimitero Monumentale di Milano in Milan.

Moschino's Lasting Impact

After Franco Moschino's death, his former assistant, Rossella Jardini, became the creative director of the Moschino brand. In October 2013, a designer from Los Angeles named Jeremy Scott took over this role. He showed his first Moschino collection in the fall of 2014.

Moschino clothes have been worn by many famous people. These include Madonna, Diana, Princess of Wales, and Fran Drescher on her TV show The Nanny. Other celebrities who have worn his designs are Katy Perry, Alicia Silverstone, Kylie Minogue, Rick Ross, Gwyneth Paltrow, Anna Friel, Miley Cyrus, Patti LaBelle, and Nicki Minaj.

See also

In Spanish: Franco Moschino para niños