Dive Brief:
- Moschino announced the appointment of Davide Renne as its new creative director in a Monday press release. He fills a role that had been open since March.
- Renne, who most recently served as head designer of womenswear at Gucci, will oversee women’s, men’s and accessories collections at Moschino. He will report to Massimo Ferretti, executive chairman of the brand’s parent company Aeffe SpA.
- Renne officially takes on the role on Nov.1 and his first collection, for fall-winter 2024, will debut during Milan Fashion Week in February 2024. He replaces Jeremy Scott, who spent 10 years as creative director at the label.
Dive Insight:
When Scott exited the role in March, it was the end of an era for the Italian luxury house, which had flourished under his vision. Scott took over the position from Rossella Jardini, who herself inherited the role from founder Franco Moschino following his death in 1994.
Scott’s extravagant runway shows, brand collaborations and high profile clients such as Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears gave him a cult status among fashion fans. His tenure, however, wasn’t without controversy. Shoes created as part of a limited edition collection with Adidas were pulled from the market for resembling ankle shackles, and a 2018 ad campaign featuring a blue-painted Gigi Hadid was strongly criticized for its references to illegal immigration.
By appointing Renne, Moschino hopes to bolster enthusiasm for the label while presumably staying away from the more problematic elements that sometimes marked Scott’s work.
“I am very conscious of the honor that Mr. Ferretti — a gentleman who has been almost fatherly in his ability to listen and establish a dialogue during our encounters — has bestowed upon me in taking charge of the House founded by one of fashion's great minds,” Renne said in the release.
The company may have found a good fit with Renne, who spent two decades designing women’s collections for Gucci, including eight years working with Alessandro Michele, the brand’s former larger-than-life creative director, who departed suddenly in November 2022. There were even rumors that Renne was a contender to take over from Michele before Sabato De Sarno eventually nabbed the creative director role at Gucci.
“Franco Moschino had a nickname for his design studio: la sala giochi — the playroom. This resonates deeply with me: what fashion — Italian fashion especially, and the House of Moschino most of all can achieve with its enormous power should be accomplished with a sense of play, of joy. A sense of discovery, and experimentation,” Renne said.. “So, thank you Mr. Ferretti for giving me the keys to your playroom. I can't wait to begin — we'll have fun. Together.”
Aeffe reported 352 million euro in 2022 revenue, or approximately $371 million, up 8.4% over the previous year. The Milan-based company, which also owns Alberta Ferretti, Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini and Pollini, does not break down numbers for its individual brands. However, after acquiring a 70% stake in Moschino in 1999, the company bought the remaining 30% in 2021 for more than 66.5 million euros.
“Today we welcome Davide to the Moschino family,” Ferretti said in the release. “We have all been impressed by Davide’s extremely sophisticated vision of fashion’s power to create a living dialogue with the world around us, and by his deep understanding of the House of Moschino’s legacy and of our codes. He is a brilliant designer, and a special human being: Franco used to say that bad manners are the only true bad taste and getting to know Davide I have been struck not only by his obvious talent but by his kindness, his sensibility. We are confident that he will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Moschino, a global House with an Italian heart and a truly unique DNA in the luxury industry.”
