Jacket

House of Moschino|Franco Moschino|Moschino Couture

1992 · acetate, rayon, metal · Costume Institute

The whimsical "Smiley Face" blazer by Italian designer Franco Moschino characteristically deconstructs the high-mindedness of fashion, by giving it a friendly face as opposed to the idea that designer fashion is based on exclusivity or elitism. Like a cartoon or an emoji, the smiley face is an easily recognizable icon and its meaning is accessible to all. As a postmodern designer, Moschino champions the “camp” sensibility, which upends notions of high versus low, and good taste versus bad taste, as described by Susan Sontag in her seminal essay "Notes on Camp" (1964), which Moschino had printed on glass in his office. Through his democratic designs, Moschino expresses the ideas captured in Sontag's writings that "the whole point of Camp is to dethrone the serious. Camp is playful, anti-serious" as well as "Camp taste is, above all, a mode of enjoyment, of appreciation - not judgment. Camp is generous. It wants to enjoy."

Artist

House of Moschino|Franco Moschino|Moschino Couture

Date

1992

Medium

acetate, rayon, metal

Culture

Italian

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Purchase, Gould Family Foundation Gift, in memory of Jo Copeland, 2019