Fri, February 26, 2010
To celebrate the opening of Maison Moschino, the company's new hotel in Milan's Viale Monte Grappa, Rosella Jardini and her Cheap & Chic team changed up their show format, flying in British pop sensation Pixie Lott to perform and enlisting Italian actress Asia Argento to deejay. Instead of sitting in orderly rows, guests swigged Champagne and stood cheek by jowl in a clear plastic tent as models streamed past them. The concept, as the designer described it afterward, was "all of the different women who come out of the hotel." There was a "Chanel lady" in a bright pink tweed boucléjacket and skirt, and an "Hermès lady" with a black Kelly bag perched upside down on her head. With Carla Sozzani's famous 10 Corso Como store just steps from the hotel, Jardini sent out "shopaholics" carrying blue shopping bags with "Full" printed on one side and the Moschino URL on the other. Those were just for show, but the designer did debut a new collection of luggage, dubbed Lost and Found. There were even maids in black and white uniforms who playfully swatted the people lining their way with feather dusters.
In other words, this was trademark Cheap & Chic: nothing too serious, full of fashion in-jokes, and contagiously upbeat. To wit: The last model out sashayed by in a spangled shift dress with big block letters that read: "Fashion must go on!" Just in case it doesn't, though, it was a clever move for Jardini and co. to branch out with this new hotel.
