Which designer founded the fashion brand Moschino in 1983?

Franco Moschino founded the fashion brand Moschino in 1983. Born near Milan, the Italian designer first trained in art and fashion illustration before working as a sketcher for Gianni Versace and later designing for the Italian label Cadette.

In 1983, Moschino established his own company, Moonshadow, and launched Moschino Couture! The label quickly became famous for irreverent designs that satirized fashion’s conventions. His collections used bright colors, slogans, pop-art references and unexpected objects, often turning ordinary items into humorous luxury details.

Moschino’s name is sometimes linked only with the later creative directors who expanded the house’s visual identity, but Franco was the founder and original creative force. He introduced the lower-priced Cheap and Chic line in 1988, helping make the brand’s playful aesthetic accessible to a wider audience.

After Moschino died in 1994, Rossella Jardini succeeded him as creative director. The house continued to evolve while retaining his signature wit, criticism of excess and deliberately theatrical approach to Italian fashion.