By now, you’ve probably heard that designers Moschino are bringing their fashions show to Detroit this weekend. At first I chuckled, what is the Italian-based fashion line doing in Michigan? But then I began to wonder what Michigan has to do with their show.
In my years working at a marine manufacturing company in the Detroit area, there are few things more terrifying than the prospect of someone coming to see us for sale or working for us. Over the past few years our city has been the frequent subject of claims that it is home to those people that cannot make it in Detroit. An event like this has not only national sponsorship but Detroit’s very own establishment showing interest in those who work in the city itself, rather than in Madison Avenue.
I am disappointed to see that Michigan was able to secure one, notable, high-profile fashion show, and I was very shocked to hear that it was hosted by an Italian brand. I guess there is an aspect of pride that comes with this global brand showing to those that work in the auto industry. Perhaps Detroit has something to show them that the automobile is another wave in the ongoing, worldwide evolution of pop culture. Can the automobile be a piece of beauty? Is it a piece of well-coordinated art?
Moschino is a brand that is well known for its outrageous designs with memorable logos. By bringing their show to Detroit, they are showing us that despite our location we are still equal parts victim and predator. Whether they or I know it or not, Detroit is on their list of places to explore for the soul of their new line. But they are not the only brand that is trying to give an alternative platform for what they believe to be the soul of Detroit.
It’s no secret that Detroit represents more than a city to native natives.
They are the home of Motown and many of our artists are working towards a real vision of a Detroit for the next generation, one that we cannot afford to lose. We can no longer have big-box stores and huge domes adorning downtown Detroit, or surrounded by idyllic leafy landscapes.
Historically, one of the biggest challenges for the Motor City has been finding a location for Detroit to leverage. From Lake Michigan to the Cuyahoga River, the American dream has been hard to master. In the past I have gone on “this” tour, where I have gone on bus tours with Detroit’s own celebrities and tasked them with taking our side of a story. Many of the places they would visit would be completely closed off, and most of them would tell a very similar tale. From the corporate hotels to Motown, they have largely been working to grasp the American dream, and yet the only thing the two have in common is that they make for great Instagram pictures.
This weekend is changing that.
The fact that we can attract a larger-than-life fashion designer isn’t shocking; the fact that we can attract an event that has nothing to do with the Motor City is astonishing. Detroit and the Motor City won’t fade away anytime soon, even if fashion hasn’t quite caught on. Detroit has had a little bit of everything. If we can hold on to this Hollywood moment, as well as find new and fresh ways to use the old once again, then I am looking forward to the end of the century.
Dave Hulser is the co-owner of I Is Photography, a photograph business in Detroit. He also works in jobs in the fields of finance, health care, and retail.
