Paying tribute to Madonna’s golden years, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana looked back and wrestled with the archives. Flamboyance reigned with little conviction for SS25.
The first look in Dolce & Gabbana’s lineup would suggest the house set the tone for their SS25 collection with a longline, finely-sculpted bodysuit —except it was actually a white evening gown. No doubt the female customers already have a few standby options in their closet, so the designers rightly figured they would pitch something finer yet familiar.
And this pretty much sums up the house’s modus operandi, whether it’s slimming the volumes of a dress or revisiting a piece from its archives. With Dolce & Gabbana, you’re never entirely sure whether its creative state is nonchalance or perfectionism, but these extremes seem to have found a happy medium in the clothes.
For this season, the designers took inspiration from Madonna’s golden years as models walked down a long staircase with blond, curly-haired wigs and pointed bras—recalling all the irreverence and elegant grandeur that the singer has influenced over the years.
The Dolce & Gabbana women’s celebrates the essence of Italian beauty, epitomising a synthesis of sensuality, attitude, character and charm. With a collection that pays tribute to the iconic and powerful Madonna, who has spanned the decades immortalised by cinema, capable of asserting her personality while remaining true to herself, the collection is supposed to play with the singer’s identity, transforming blond into a distinctive feature.
The clothes precisely draw the body, thanks to lines that enhance the female form: precisely-cut jackets and corsetry details showcase strong and self-conscious femininity, even though models look a little bored. I must admit that it lacked the excitement of the heyday, as there was no flamboyance and models stuck to a simple walking elegance. But the details were brilliant.
Standouts include duchesse, crepe, tulle, chiffon, lace and faux fur envelope bodies. Black, nude, red, and white are the colours. Flowers return in archival-inspired prints. Cone bras, strings, laces and hooks are symbols of Italian seduction, though with little conviction.
by Chidozie Obasi