Jeremy Scott's most memorable moments as he steps down at Moschino

McDonald's uniforms, teddy bear trainers and cult cuts — his career has been anything but ordinary

Jeremy Scott on the runway after the Moschino men's spring/summer 2023 collection in Milan last year. AP

After more than a decade of viral moments and tongue-in-cheek designs, Jeremy Scott has announced he is stepping down as creative director of Moschino.

From his debut collection for autumn/winter 2014, Scott’s influence on the fashion house was immediately felt. He took founder Franco Moschino's love of colour and eccentricity and mixed it with a satirical take on consumerism, which sparked endless social commentary when models graced the runway dressed as McDonald’s workers and crisp packets.

In the years that followed, Scott made oversized phone cases shaped like packets of cigarettes or bottles of toilet cleaner the must-have accessory, andcaused grown adults to go wild over SpongeBob SquarePants and Barbie-themed collections.

Scroll through the gallery below to see some of Jeremy Scott’s most talked-about Moschino moments

Announcing his departure on Instagram, Scott said: “I’ve had a blast creating designs that will live on forever. I am grateful for all the love and support I’ve received over this past decade. As I close this chapter I am filled with excitement and anticipation and can’t wait to share with you all what I have in store for you next!”

In a statement, Moschino praised Scott’s “fearless and show-stopping pop-camp style and incisive humour”.

Jeremy Scott’s early career

Born in Missouri in 1975, Scott was determined to work in fashion in Paris and started taking French lessons aged 14. In 1992, he moved to New York to study fashion at Pratt Institute, before relocating to Paris in 1996 to pursue his career. However, things didn't go as planned and he quickly found himself sleeping rough on the metro. Desperate, he decided to set up his self-titled label.

In 1997, Scott showed his first collection, inspired by David Cronenberg's 1996 film Crash, at Paris Fashion Week. With no money to spend on fabrics, Scott repurposed paper hospital gowns and his models walked barefoot or in heels fashioned out of bandages. His second show, an all-black collection called Rampage, which Scott described as "Blade Runner, trash bags and the apocalypse", was hosted at the cult (and now defunct) Parisian store Colette. When his third show won the praise of Vogue France, Scott was taken under the wing of British stylist Isabella Blow, the woman who launched Alexander McQueen's career years earlier.

In 2003, Scott began working with adidas Originals to launch several collaborations, including winged high tops worn by the likes of Kanye West and Blue Ivy, and trainers with pink teddy bears as tongues, which went viral after they were worn by rapper Lil Wayne.

What’s next for Scott?

While Scott is yet to reveal exactly what’s next for him, his Instagram post makes it clear that there is something in the works.

The designer spent much of his time at Moschino also working on his eponymous label, although in 2019, it was withdrawn from the fashion show schedule.

Speaking to Vogue at the time, Scott hinted that his busy schedule at Moschino made it difficult to balance the two. “I want to be sure I have a nice life — I mean, quality time with people,” he said.

At the time, he also suggested the hiatus may not be indefinite. “I own the company, so I can decide,” Scott said. Watch this space.