Judging by some of the visual puns on the catwalk, April Fools’ day seems to have come early to certain labels. Given that many people find fashion a ludicrous enterprise to begin with, cracking a sartorial joke can be a risky business. Yet there are designers such as Jeremy Scott, now at the helm of Moschino, who make a career out of putting tongues in cheeks. And right now, novelty is all the rage.
Although only the most kitschy of pop stars (Katy Perry, for one) may want to look like Coco Chanel cross-dressing as Ronald McDonald, next season’s red-and-yellow twinsets and “golden arches” jumpers at Moschino caused a sensation on Twitter when they were shown during Milan Fashion Week. And when was the last time Moschino made the news like that?
“Fashion is just ridiculous!” says Belgian designer Bernhard Willhelm, whose spring line features oversized graphics of scissors cutting along dotted lines. “I recommend at least one laugh a day.”