Moschino's 30th Anniversary Extravaganza!

The old adage that friends are the family we choose may sound trite, but it never seemed more true than behind the scenes at Moschino's 30th anniversary extravaganza in Milan. Bittersweet as these celebrations often are, Moschino the brand didn't shy away from the pain of its past – namely losing Moschino the man to Aids-related illness in 1994.

Before his death, Rossella Jardini was Franco Moschino's right-hand-woman; in his absence, she was appointed the brand's creative director, taking control of a brand that had become known for accessorising its clothing with wry social commentary. In the Eighties and Nineties, Moschino was one of a cabal of powerful Italian brands. Much-coveted and copied, its kudos was unassailable, not least for the way it provoked debate.

 Even the correct pronunciation of the name was a source of some dispute (the correct answer is Mos-kee-no by the way). With multiple sub-brands and licences and even a hotel, Moschino has expanded further than anyone foresaw, but its sass and wit remain rare attributes in Italian fashion, where sleek and sexy are so often the order of the day.

"There's a lot of enthusiasm and joy," says Jardini, when we meet before the spring/summer 14 show at Moschino's headquarters. Bill Shapiro, American-born menswear designer and long-standing member of the clan, is serving as translator while Jardini's spaniel, Charly, happily scampers around the room. "We care about other people. I think it's a bit Italian, the family thing in fashion in Italy is important – it's part of what Italian fashion is." Indeed, the dynastic element of Italian fashion houses from Gucci to Pucci, Missoni to MaxMara is in part what has allowed so many of them to become commercial juggernauts – regardless of whether offspring or an outsider is at the reins. Shapiro may joke that the Moschino family is "dysfunctional", but the emotion and trust that is involved is clear to see.

I am shown a preview of a montage of Franco Moschino's life on film – later that evening, it will be played as an introduction to the show. "I wasn't able to watch for years," says Jardini about the memories such footage provokes. "It's easier now, a little bit easier. Franco left a lot of open doors, a lot of open roads, so in that way it was difficult – he was incredibly missed, for his charisma as well as his talent."

"This is sort of a love story," she says, at once referring to the brand, the collection, and tonight's celebration. "The people who worked with Franco, the people who knew him, well he was so special. It was incredible, people really loved him – and one of the ways to keep you going through the work was the love that he had for people, and that people had back for him. Celebrating the roots of the brand is a way of keeping Franco and those people alive, a way of keeping the love alive."