New Style Idea

The invite was the clue:  A tiny box containing a miniature clothing hanger with “Moschino” written on the wire.

“As the world seems to be splitting along the seams, the bare inner workings of something new will be exposed,” wrote creative director Jeremy Scott on the physical invite.”

When the live stream actually began on Saturday, Scott was there, but he wasn’t directing anything. Instead, a puppet of his likeness was there zipping up a dress on a marionette model that just had to be Gigi Hadid. “Hey you! Come here and help me zip this dress!” barked his doll, wearing a crown and an “I Don’t Speak Italian But I Do Speak Moschino” t-shirt. Nearby, another puppet sat in a chair, a doll that had to be longtime Moschino stylist Carlene Cerf de Dudzeele, wearing her trademark track suit.

“This isn’t a puppet show, it’s a fashion show!” the mini-Scott yelled as he told everybody to take their seats for the show — his latest out-there take on the traditional runway.

In a traditional salon with white carpet, white crown molded walls, bronze sconces and crystal chandeliers (miniature — it all was), puppet models stepped gingerly down the intimate runway as famous puppet attendees watched. There was an Anna Wintour doll, clad in a leopard print coat and oversized sunglasses, sitting next to a Hamish Bowles doll in the American Vogue section. A New York Times fashion critic Vanessa Friedman doll took notes in a miniature notebook (“corset busts,” “long coats” were scribbled on the pages). An Edward Enninful doll sat next to the Anna Della Russo doll.

The actual miniature collection was aggressively retro, with A-line silhouettes, brocade fabrics and tulle and feather evening gowns, all worn by marionette dolls that vaguely resembled famous models (was that Bella Hadid or Irina Shayk? And which one was Kaia?) Whether or not the collection will be produced for human bodies remains to be seen, but it would make sense if the looks were treated as couture orders for Moschino’s best customers.

While a Moschino show is usually a sure bet for an outrageous statement shoe, the puppet show didn’t have much room for the intricate platforms of past seasons. Instead, each doll — both on the runway and in the front row — donned a pair of stick-on pumps known more commonly as “Barbie shoes.”