Camryn Rosenstein
Contributing Writer
Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana (D&G) have been a powerhouse collective in the fashion industry for the last 34 years. Through minor hiccups, such as filing for bankruptcy and being hacked on social media, D&G continues to be one of the most successful and well-known fashion brands in the world. This past Sunday, Feb. 23, D&G revealed their latest collection, bringing their traditional Italian couture roots back to the runway.
The 100-piece runway collection starts off with 15 black and white suits. However, these are not ordinary suits; every suit is representative of an era. The first two suits are clearly meant to represent the 1920s gangster, but with a feminine twist. The trench coats are fitted for the female form and the hats are wider to accentuate the feminine facial features. Look 12 presents a mix between suit and pyjama, which I believe is meant to foreshadow the second phase of the collection — the nightgown section. The pyjama look mostly comes from the top which looks like the night top that Audrey Hepburn’s character, Holly Golightly, wears in the 1960s film, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”
Something that makes D&G so special is the way they use time in their designs — their inspiration spans years of fashion. The nightgown/pyjama section of the collection clearly emulates 1960s style because D&G use beautiful bright satins, lace and furs to create their chic and luxurious sleepwear. In the middle of the collection, runway looks 58-73 show an assortment of 1980s fashion with a touch of 60s in there and the jewel-tone-colored dresses, Madonna bustier tops and satin ruching draw from the 80s. For the 60s style, D&G integrate the sheath and shift midi dresses and long wool and tweed petticoats to emulate Jackie O’s style.
Another thing that D&G often implements in their designs is artwork. Runway looks 74-79 all include art illustrations. When D&G use artwork, they typically design the clothing pieces around the focal point of the art. What makes these designs special is the way D&G contrast the artwork with unique fabric or material to create an extraordinary piece of clothing. D&G’s ability to incorporate artwork into their designs shows their ability to create one of a kind designs that bridge the gap between generations.
It is not uncommon for fashion designers, especially D&G, to include a wedding or special occasion dress section into their collection. However, I do find the placement of the these dresses particularly interesting; instead of placing them at the end of the show, they were put as runway looks 80-84. The oddity of this placement is worth noting because most designers put their special occasion dresses as the show’s finale. But D&G are not most designers. In their runway show, the last 15 looks show off D&G’s traditional baroqueness. What’s a Dolce and Gabbana collection without black and gold peacock feather suits, sequins sheath dresses, bows galore, lace detailing, loafers and oxfords and, of course, that signature Italian rose design?
