Moschino and Money: The Fashion Favorites
- Mar 4
- 3 min read
Moschino’s Fall/Winter 2026 show hit Milan on February 27 like a fashion fever with a nostalgic twist.
Adrian Appiolaza delivered a runway that was theatrical and just the right amount of unhinged. Friday night for Moschino definitely had personality, with Appiolaza feeling sentimental and hailing the legacy of his homeland.
A pixelated Eva Perón flashed across a T-shirt and suddenly we were in Argentina. To sweeten things up, along came a leather pouch in the shape of a sack of chocolate-dipped churros. Anything but subtle, it was playful and proudly personal. From Evita to street-snack references, he turned childhood memories into full-blown fashion moments, all with that signature Moschino irony.
Appiolaza’s runway was like a casting lineup of characters. Like the hunks and club kids at Demna’s Gucci debut, characters were clearly having a moment this season. At Moschino, Appiolaza took that idea and ran with it.
Proper bourgeois ladies were accompanied by a bus driver with a vintage ticket dispenser while soccer fans, gauchos and tango dancers cheered along. The lineup felt like a full-on parade. Models weren’t just walking the runway, they had particular roles. It was very much in the theatrical spirit that Franco Moschino loved, reimagined with a South American.
Appiolaza even brought in filete porteño, that ornate Argentine artwork you see on buses and storefronts. Giving it a Moschino touch, he somehow made it look completely at home on a flared dance dress.
Though Moschino is usually treated as peak Italian, Appiolaza reminded us by telling WWD that Franco Moschino loved an “open source” approach. To him, inspiration came from everywhere. Legend has it that it was the founder’s Spanish boyfriend who inspired the polka dots and flamenco flair that had baked into the brand’s DNA.
There was even a clever cartoon parallel complementing Moschino's affection for animated iconography. Franco adored Olive Oyl from Mafalda. So, Appiolaza brought in Argentina’s rebellious little comic heroine who loved The Beatles, hated soup and questioned everything.
On the runway, structured jackets, strong shoulders and clean lines led the charge. The denim moments brought in a lot of fun while flirty ruffles, heart-shaped cutouts and oversized accessories had their own spotlight.
The clothes swung between costume and commentary. More than tailoring, it was the storytelling that stole the spotlight. Tango dresses flared ready for a stage while gaucho touches leaned into romantic countryside energy. Football details brought in a loud crowd energy as novelty bags made the boldest statements.
A love letter to Appiolaza’s home, you could feel the homesickness in the room. The pride and curiosity that is visible in the designs honored Franco’s anything-goes spirit.
For a fall wardrobe, there were a lot of ideas. So many references that the silhouettes sometimes got lost in the mix. The characters were strong indeed, but the structure, not always.
“I don’t think Moschino necessarily needs to be about a certain culture or a certain group of people,” Appiolaza confided backstage. “In fact, he gave the brand the freedom to be just creative. When you feel passionate about something, just show it.”
The finale leaned into one of fashion’s favorite subjects: money. Appiolaza kept the final act a bit cheeky as a model walked out dressed like a sharp banker in a clean suit. Upon looking closer, her heels were covered in fabric euro bills and she carried a leather piggy bank under her arm. This was indeed Appiolaza making a point about money in the most Moschino manner. Funny, and very bold.
The front row was stacked with A-listers like Heart Evangelista, Thai stars Keng Harit and Napatsakorn Pingmuang. The crowd clearly loved this modern and refined Moschino, which was surreal yet fully aware.
All in all, this was an important night for Appiolaza. Instead of just copying the archives, he was testing how much of his own story could be told with the Moschino lens. It struck an emotional chord with the crowd that would opine on and wear the designs in style.
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