June 19, 2026 |
This afternoon Moschino announced that Adrian Appiolaza has stepped down as creative director of the brand.
Appiolaza was appointed to the helm back in January 2024 following the sudden and tragic passing of Davide Renne who held the position for just nine days after the departure of longtime creative lead Jeremy Scott.
Previously women’s ready-to-wear director at Loewe for a decade under the direction of Jonathan Anderson – and before that at Chloé under Clare Waight Keller – Appiolaza earned a reputation as one of luxury fashion’s most quietly influential hands, known for his poetic construction, intellectual romance and razor-sharp technical precision. In the last 20 years, he also completed stints at Miu Miu and Louis Vuitton.
His debut collection for Moschino was unveiled during the AW24 season and took place at the Museo della Permanente; a significant location as it was also used to hold the exhibition Moschino – X anni di Kaos! 1983-1993, which celebrated the first decade of Franco Moschino’s brand back in 1993. There, Appiolaza tapped into a clever translation of Moschino’s tongue-in-cheek design codes for the modern generation. He also sharpened the label’s signature visual jokes – jackets that doubled as garment bags, trompe-l’œil bows, suiting laced like couture corsetry – infusing them with a lyricism more typical of his work at Loewe. Rather than chasing shock value, Appiolaza’s Moschino explored wit through craftsmanship, elevating the house’s anarchic spirit with a modern softness.
Splitting his time between Paris and Milan, across collections, Appiolaza’s aim remained to adapt Moschino’s archives for modernity. He consistently mined Franco’s archives, reimagining them with contemporary fabrication, gender-fluid styling and a renewed focus on sculptural volumes.
Appiolaza’s successor is yet to be announced.
Photography by Fracesc Planes. Taken from 10 Men Issue 62 – BIRTHDAY, EVOLVE, TRANSFORMATION.
