Renowned American designer Jeremy Scott departed Moschino in March 2023, leaving a sizeable gap in the Italian fashion House. Scott’s playful and whimsical design language steered Moschino in new directions while staying true to its glamorous identity. He was the House’s third Creative Director, succeeding founder Franco Moschino, and close friend and collaborator Rossella Jardini.

Scott ended his 10-year tenure with a prideful bow, announcing that Davide Renne will take the throne as Creative Director. He has big shoes to fill — it begs the question — will he succeed? The Tuscan-born designer embodies Moschino’s Italian heritage, building a solid portfolio in leadership roles nationwide.

Renne had early aspirations in fashion, taking his talents to Università degli Studi di Firenze to study fashion design. He graduated in 1999, simultaneously attending local college, Polimoda. He bid farewell to academic grounds, stepping into global Houses thereafter. Renne immediately joined Alessandro dell’Acqua‘s N°21, becoming a senior designer through dynamic womenswear collections promoting sensual femininity. After expanding his capabilities, Renne entered RUFFO as Creative Director — a premium leather goods company founded by Marisa and Ruffo Corsi.

He joined Gucci in 2004, working under Frida Giannini‘s Creative Direction. Her 9-year stint was defined by energizing House codes with a modern vision, looking to the future without losing sight of the past. Renne and Giannini worked closely to create elemental collections that cemented her as one of the greats, evident in her music-forward Spring/Summer 2015 collection that recalled relentless ’70s movements.

Her successor, Alessandro Michele, held his ground for almost eight years, delivering eclectic collections that became unmissable spectacles. He provided masterful virality that overtook the industry, abolishing gendered archetypes through fantastical creations and chart-topping partnerships. Michele’s vision was contagious, and Renne was clearly infected. “I spent the past eight years with Alessandro Michele, who taught me to dream bigger and pushed me further ahead, and helped me to make my dreams come true. Fashion, like life, is about discovering ourselves. I dislike fashion that dictates answers — I’m more inclined to find the right question, then the answers come in the designer’s dialogue with our audience: fashion is inherently bespoke,” Renne says. The Italian designer rose to the helm of Gucci’s womenswear department, migrating onto larger grounds after two decades.

His appointment was unexpected and equally welcomed, receiving praise from the executive chairman of Moschino’s parent company, Massimo Ferretti. “Today, we welcome Davide to the Moschino family. We have all been impressed by Davide’s extremely sophisticated vision of fashion’s power to create a living dialogue with the world around us and by his deep understanding of the House of Moschino’s legacy and of our codes. He is a brilliant designer and a special human being: Franco used to say that bad manners are the only true bad taste, and getting to know Davide, I have been struck, not only by his obvious talent but by his kindness, his sensibility,” said Ferretti in a press release.

Jeremy Scott embodied Moschino’s lively spirit, transforming it into an “it” brand for fashion lovers far and wide. His collections walked on fantastical lines balanced with a costume-like nuance. His ten-year residence encouraged unconstrained fun, seeing Barbie dolls and Looney Tunes come to life alongside gimmicky McDonald’s uniforms and darkened interpretations of Salvador Dali‘s The Persistence of Memory. The latter informed his final collection for the House, inflating melting clocks to monstrous proportions. It mirrored Scott’s whimsical attitude while inserting unexpected darkness that was previously absent. The surrealist offering was drenched in punk perspectives and came a month before his official departure.

Will Renne push his predecessor’s established legacy or take Moschino in an entirely new direction? The designer will take the helm of Moschino on November 1, managing womenswear and menswear collections alongside accessories and footwear. Italian trading desks met the news excitedly as shares for Moschino’s parent company, Aeffe, rose 2.26% on the morning of Renne’s appointment. As his first major Creative Director role, the Gucci alum will bring fresh eyes to the House, and we’re left eager to see what he delivers in February 2024.