Jeremy Scott gave us the 411 on the MOSCHINO x H&M collab

No one can deny that H&M and Moschino are both indelible names in fashion—together, these two fashion forces are joining up to create a collection that promises to win over every bold woman. To understand this partnership, we talked with H&M’s Creative Advisor, Anne-Sofie Johannson, and MOSCHINO’s creative director, Jeremy Scott himself.

This was first announced in April, with supermodel Gigi Hadid breaking the news through an Instagram live call from the designer.Of the iconic moment, Jeremy said, “What do you do when you’ve got big news to share? You get your friends on the phone. Gigi and I just let the whole world in on the call. It was the perfect way to announce the collaboration.” The model, whom Jeremy regards as family, is featured prominently in the exclusive first images released by the brand.

This isn’t H&M’s first big collaboration. Working with the right people, after all, is one way of the ways H&M was able to stay competitive in the global market. “It’s amazing for us to look back at the H&M designer collaborations since the first one with Karl Lagerfeld in 2004. Now, there are more collaborations in fashion than ever, and for us they are more relevant than ever before. We love how they bring together different creative minds to create something new and special,” Anne Sofie shares. But why Jeremy Scott, and why now? Anne-Sofie cites the “bold, fearless and in your face” sensibility taking over these days which she says is reflected through “Jeremy’s incredible energy, attitude and sense of fun.”  She adds, “It’s an amazing moment of positivity and personal expression in fashion, about making a statement and bringing joy to your wardrobe.”

Tagged as “The People’s Designer,” Jeremy is just as excited about the collaboration. He told us he considers it the “best news,” as it means that more of his fans will get to wear his clothes and his designs. “The wonderful thing about this collaboration is the ability to take my voice and to translate it to H&M’s price point, and to have it be accessible to so many more people around the world without having to dial down the designs. It’s a really wonderful rare treat and it makes me so happy,” he said.

Anne-Sofie echoes this sentiment on the importance of fashion being accessible to everyone. “It’s been so great to see the barriers breaking down in fashion, and to watch how people now mix together so many different pieces in their wardrobe. It’s nice to think that H&M has played a role in this, and it’s exciting to think about how MOSCHINO [tv] H&M will continue to break down barriers even further,” she said.

On the subject of barriers in fashion, H&M has asserted itself as a company who’s self-aware of its role in a society where women empowerment and gender equality have become crucial issues. Anne-Sofie said that these values are natural to the brand, and visible in their collections. “It’s been amazing to witness all of the moves towards equality in the 21st century, and to see how often women have come to H&M to find the wardrobe for the way we live our lives today,” she said.

Meanwhile, as a designer, Jeremy also champions something equally important, especially in fashion: diversity, which he said is apparent even in his first collections in the ’90s. “For me, fashion has always been about self-expression and the right to be whoever you want to be. I have always pushed for diversity. This isn’t politics to me, it’s a way of life. It’s amazing to be able to use fashion to spread this message around the world.” Additionally, he shared that what he loves about fashion is its ability to communicate beyond language. “In my work I can use logos or icons of pop culture, and immediately people know what I mean. I can speak to people in Taiwan or Timbuktu at the same time, and they know exactly what I mean.”

And even though he’s been in the industry for a long time, he still manages to make every collection feel fresh, vibrant, and relevant. The secret, he says, is to simply speak from the heart to truly connect with the fans. “It’s so weird, I’ve been designing for two decades but it feels like I’ve only just begun, there’s so much more to do,” he added.

Indeed, we don’t see his creative genius stopping anytime soon. This new collection which features so many special pieces, from the smallest accessory to the most major fashion items, seems proof of that. So what can we expect from this collaboration? “100 percent MOSCHINO,” Jeremy reveals. “I wanted it to be like a MOSCHINO capsule, an extra collection for the season, this special moment that’s totally democratic and affordable for the people. It’s the true DNA of MOSCHINO, with the sense of humor, the pop culture, the mix of high and low and the feeling of the street.”

Art by Marian Hukom

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