? Moschino

Book excerpt: Designed by Luca Stoppini, art director of the Italian edition of "Vogue," this book presents the original, multicoloured, extravagant and transgressive fashion universe of Moschino using a decade of scintillating and often provocative shop windows. From the ideal woman (Violeta, 1990; Old? New?, 1991) to the vamp (Stop the Fashion System!, 1990; Halloween, 1991); from the theme of world peace (Nobel peace prize?, 1990; No War!, 1998) to a love for animals (I_animals, 1994) and a defence of nature (Love Nature and Nature_you, 1993); from respect for the environment (Ecouture!, 1994) to the battle against AIDS (Smile!, 1992; Safe Sex, 1994) and against social, cultural and inter-racial discrimination (Nord _ Sud, 1994; Love, Peace and...Mix Appeal, 1997)...March 1989 saw the opening of Moschino's first boutique in Via Sant'Andrea in Milan, which provided Franco Moschino with another formidable means of communication-- the shop window. The shop window was the natural continuum of the shop, but also new surroundings to be dressed, the stage for regular mise-en-scène, another chance for direct contact with the public, an ideal point of observation and a strong means of communication. It could be used to launch messages, moods and opinions, moving-- as in a game of chess-- the pawns of his transgressive imagery and revealing his philosophy of style in an autonomous and alternative manner.