Moschino names Sunnei founders as creative directors

The Italian fashion house Moschino has appointed Loris Messina and Simone Rizzo, the founders of the Milan-based label Sunnei, as its new creative directors. The announcement was made on Sunday, June 21, 2026, just two days after the departure of their predecessor, Adrian Appiolaza. The duo will present their first collection for Moschino during Milan Fashion Week this September.

Massimo Ferretti, executive chairman of Moschino's parent company Aeffe, said Messina and Rizzo possess the contemporary creative vision and cultural sensibility needed to balance the brand's identity with innovation. In a joint statement, the new creative directors expressed admiration for founder Franco Moschino's legacy of challenging conventions through creativity. They said taking on the role means embracing that legacy and projecting it into the present to shape contemporary culture.

Messina and Rizzo launched Sunnei as a direct-to-consumer menswear label in 2014, later adding womenswear in 2018. Neither attended traditional design school, but they built Sunnei into a brand known for its irreverent, internet-savvy approach to Italian style, characterized by bold color and wit. The label gained...