POP Goes the Designer!

Jeremy Scott: The Peoples Designer, 

a documentary directed by Vlad Yudin released this past September, features many musicians such as, A$ap Rocky, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, 2NE1, Jared Leto, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Rita Ora and the list goes on. Scott is a pop culture iconic fashion designer linked to the music industry and has exploded the boundaries of fashion through his creativity and doing things his way. He heads his own brand and also is the creative director of Moschino. Scott’s unique vision for Moschino has impacted fashion, art and the music industry. Since his debut as creative director of Moschino in 2013, the public has seen mainstream commercial brands like McDonalds, and most recently Windex, inspire his high fashion collection. From Miley Cyrus to Katy Perry and Rihanna, the list of A-list musicians wearing the McDonald’s logo continues.

The playful designs can be considered costume-like and a gimmick, which is why Scott’s designs are considered provocative to the fashion world. Is Scott intentionally challenging high fashion’s relationship to mainstream commerce, where burgers and French fries don’t mix with French couture? What motivates him to merge these two extremes in our society’s culture? Is Scott’s role in the fashion industry similar to what Andy Warhol’s role was in the art world?

Both artists have used Americana to their advantage by repositioning mainstream objects in the public’s consciousness. Neither Warhol nor Scott created the iconic Campbell Soup can or the McDonald’s golden arches, yet they both take from these global giants and use branded identity as a way for their own brand to attract media attention. For Scott, he puts his own name at the center of attention by exploiting another identity.

 Even though he is using another person’s work from the colors of the McDonalds logo to the text and overall replica of it, he is creating something new that is a polar opposite from that fast food industry. He is using a cultural phenomenon to enhance fashion.

As many disparate cultural elements are brought into conversation with each other, celebrity performances, late night drive-through party lifestyle to create fun subversive fashion worn in good humor. 

As a result, this envelope pushing fashion has attracted many musicians who are eager for that extra x-factor to add to their appearance. When the musician wears his designs, they are wearing his art and in turn it benefits both of the artists (promoting their own individual brands, the musicians identity and the designers brand). 

Whether or not you think his designs are considered fashion, we can say that Jeremy Scott's designs can evoke some emotional reaction. Additionally, Scott has brought a form of art to multiple mediums with a special connection to the music world. 

In the future, will he be considered a pop art designer for this generation or a passing fad? How long will we be entertained by his constant references to pop culture? One thing is for sure that everything touched by Scott is eye catching, over the top and translates well in a performance and onto the stage.