Franco Moschino worked as a sketcher for Versace from 1971 to 1977, and in 1983 in Milan he launched Moschino Couture. The brand began with casualwear and jeans and expanded into lingerie, eveningwear, shoes, menswear and perfumes, always with the same sense of humor. After his death in 1994, his assistant Rossella Jardini led the house until Jeremy Scott took over in 2013, and Scott kept the founder's playful irony alive, including bags shaped like mini Moschino jackets. The shoes are the best way to see the joke. The ballerina flats come in black PVC, white suede with a mirror effect and zebra-print calf hair, and the ballerina satin platform pumps turn the same shape into a high heel. The Dolly lamb kitten mules, the suede block heel mules and the purple duck suede heels are for evenings, while the logo leather loafers and three low-top sneakers are the daytime pairs. For the logo jelly sandals, I would keep the outfit simple. Ballet flats worth knowing and boots, flats and mules are good places to compare shapes.

Animals appear everywhere in Moschino prints, and this group shows it. The black all over small goose print silk twill shorts, the horse print silk trousers and the zebra jacquard knit midi skirt are the playful center. The black printed stretch cotton midi skirt, the denim flared midi skirt and the blue and black crepe and satin midi skirt are the more easily worn shapes, and the logo tech-fabric leggings fit the same loose, casual mood. The Intimo Donna hooded bathrobe is the oddest piece here, and the kind of thing the brand has always liked to put on a runway. What I would skip is pairing a busy printed skirt with a printed top, since the animals will compete. A plain white tee is enough.

The tops are where the brand is most direct. The sheep jacquard wool crewneck sweater and the blue organic cotton blend archive cloud sweater are the two knits, and the black printed organic cotton jersey T-shirt and the white stretch cotton jersey T-shirt are the easy ones. The sequin-print silk top is for evening. The bow-accent poplin blouse and the cotton poplin blouse are tidier, and the logo tech-fabric sweatshirt is the casual one. Because the founder's humor is in the graphics, I would wear one graphic and keep the bottom half plain, so the sheep or the sequin print is the only thing anyone reads. Oversized sweaters shows other ways to layer a knit like the sheep jacquard.

The dress group is the most varied. The horse print flutter-sleeve midi dress and the zebra-pattern wool-blend off-shoulder mini keep the animal theme, the blue laurel crown emblem denim minidress and the label-print cotton mini dress carry the logo, and the sequin silk shift mini dress is the party option. The contrast-trim wool-blend mini dress, the ruched abstract stretch-tulle midi and the bow draped maxi dress are more dramatic. If a mini feels short, long sleeve mini dresses shows how to balance the hem with sleeves and tights. For the denim minidress with its laurel crown emblem, a plain jacket is enough. The bow draped maxi is the one to choose when you want drama without a short hem.

The accessories take the humor furthest: a plush faux-fur teddy bear charm, a goose plush key charm and a red heart hair clip. The Tie Me leather wallet on chain and the micro leather shoulder bag are the practical bags, with a nylon bag with a wraparound belt in between. The red printed Lycra one-piece and the yellow smiley Lycra one-piece are made for the beach, and the jackets, a mixed-media cotton jacket, a bow wool knit jacket, a layered stand-collar jacket and a denim belted trench coat, close the group. The denim belted trench coat is the one I would pick first, because it works over almost everything above, and a charm on the bag is the smallest way to wear the humor.

The Moschino I would build is simple and a little silly: ballerina flats, a denim skirt and the sheep sweater, with a teddy bear charm on the bag. The house has a long link with Aeffe, which has produced the collections as licensee since the start, acquired 70 percent of the company in 1999 and the remaining 30 percent in 2021. Franco's idea of fashion with a joke inside it is still the point. For other practical shoe ideas, see everyday shoes.

For more in the same spirit, take a look at Christopher Esber Dresses and Shoes and LIONESS Tops & Dresses.