In the midst of a severe crisis, the Aeffe group is attempting a relaunch by appointing Loris Messina and Simone Rizzo as creative directors of Moschino. They were the founders and creative directors of the Sunnei brand until last September, when they symbolically auctioned it off at their final show in Milan. This step back left a bitter taste in the mouths of fashion enthusiasts, who saw Sunnei as one of the most creative brands on the new Milanese fashion scene. Now, the design duo has assumed creative responsibilities at Moschino, effective immediately. Their debut at the helm of the fashion house founded by Franco Moschino, whose creative director until recently was Adrian Appiolaza, will be presented in September 2026 during Milan Fashion Week.
"In the evolution of a fashion house," says Massimo Ferretti, Executive Chairman of Aeffe SpA, "it is essential to combine identity and innovation. Loris Messina and Simone Rizzo possess the qualities needed to meet this challenge: a contemporary creative vision, a profound cultural sensitivity, and the ability to craft relevant languages. We are confident that their contribution will further strengthen Moschino and support its growth in the coming years."
"We have always been struck," say the founders of Sunnei, a brand recently placed into liquidation by the Milan court , "by Franco Moschino's ability to question conventions through creativity, while maintaining a clear and consistent voice. It's a rare quality. Moschino has always embodied this attitude as a cultural house driven by strong, recognizable, and radical thinking, using pop as a critical tool rather than a mere aesthetic. Taking on the creative direction means embracing this legacy and projecting it into the present, strengthening its relevance and ability to impact the contemporary imagination."
A mission undertaken by Appiolaza, who replaced American Jeremy Scott, who for 10 years had imprinted his vision on the historic brand. Now it's up to the former Sunnei to give a new, contemporary identity to Moschino, a brand very much in their element. Like Franco Moschino's, their shows were among the most anticipated of fashion week: once they had their model friends do stage diving, another time they had them run down the street on their way to the Prada show, until the last show, when they auctioned themselves off.
