Moschino Used Puppets for a Socially Distanced Fashion Show During COVID-19

Moschino Puppet Show

The coronavirus has changed nearly everything about how we live. Group events, for instance, have been canceled, postponed, or (in many cases) completely reconsidered. So, what does that mean for fashion shows? It means that designers have had to get creative to show off their latest collections. And while the conventional runway show isn't possible this year, the iconic Italian brand Moschino had a unique solution to share the looks from their Spring/Summer 2021 collection. Made possible by the creative director, Jeremy Scott, the line was presented via marionettes dressed in miniature versions of all the garments.

The show—aptly titled No Strings Attached—featured puppets designed by The Jim Henson Company Creature Shop. They created both the models and the audience. During the show, the models made their way down the runway in 40 doll-sized looks that each showed impeccable craftsmanship and attention to detail. From the boning in a corset to flowing layers in tulle skirts, every piece of clothing was tailored to the marionettes like a glove to a hand.

Those familiar with clothing construction will notice something different about the looks, though. Each piece displayed typically interior construction elements on the outside of the garment. The pressed seam allowances, usually doing their best to remain inconspicuous, now trail down skirts or line the edges of pockets. “Dresses are carefully crafted inversely,” Moschino explains, “while tulle under-skirts extend beyond hemlines, creating unconventional proportions and silhouettes.”

In terms of inspiration for this collection and its inside-out presentation, Moschino looked to the current year, 2020. “We won’t call it a fresh start so much as it is a new start,” the team explains. “Inner-workings are being laid bare; how these mechanics exist and evolve will change.” Through fashion, the brand has chosen to “reflect this phenomenon and to build from it,” creating an unconventional means for showcasing the work. In the year of massive upheavals, we celebrate this ingenuity as something fresh and inspiring that is allowing people to push their creative limits.

Moschino held a socially distant fashion show by having all of its clothes modeled by puppets.

Puppet Wearing Moschino Dress

Puppet Wearing Moschino Dress

Puppet Wearing Moschino Dress

Puppet Wearing Moschino Dress

Each piece was impeccably recreated to fit the marionettes like a glove.

Puppet Wearing Moschino Dress

Puppet Wearing Moschino Dress

Puppet Wearing Moschino Dress

Puppet Wearing Moschino Clothes

Puppet Wearing Moschino Dress

Puppet Wearing Moschino Dress

Puppet Wearing Moschino Dress

Puppet Wearing Moschino Dress

Puppet Wearing Moschino Dress

Puppet Wearing Moschino Dress

Puppet Wearing Moschino Dress

Puppet Wearing Moschino Dress

Puppet Wearing Moschino Dress

Moschino's creative director, Jeremy Scott, also made an appearance…

Jeremy Scott as a Puppet

Moschino Puppet Show

Moschino Puppet Show

…as did the legendary Anna Wintour.

Moschino Puppet Show

Watch the unconventional fashion show below:

Moschino: Website | Instagram | Facebook

My Modern Met granted permission to feature work by Moschino.

Related Articles:

How Puppetry Has Put on a Spectacular Show for Centuries and Continues to Shine

20 Jim Henson Puppets Make Their Big Museum Debut

Photographer Takes a Surreal Twist on High-Fashion Portraits of Opulent Women

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled 'Embroidered Life' that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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