Artistic and iconoclastic from childhood, Franco Moschino happened upon fashion almost by chance.
An odd-job man without a formal education, he became an illustrator for Gianni Versace until he broke away and in 1983 launched his own label.
He started off with jeans and casual wear which was quickly followed by shoes, lingerie, highly original eveningwear, and ultimately a perfume.
He is invariably described as an inventor and a "mad hat" but his perfect mastery of the classic rules of "cutting and stitching" are the base for all his creations which come to life with a strong touch of irony and a sharp sense of humor.