MILAN, ITALY — Light cotton laser-cut jerseys? Check. Huge cargo pants? Check. More than a little embellishment? Check. Season after season, there are certain elements that Dolce & Gabbana designers include in their ready-to-wear collections. The only things missing this time around were the enormous chunky PJs that had been appealing to them last Spring. (Though they managed to slip a few into the proceedings—layered, if you can imagine, over short summer-tinged toppers).
The creative duo also gave a nod to their past and their present: the former via some finely-sculpted tailoring with a plethora of beaded details and the latter with the very Italian-esque, sporty vein present in jackets and soft knits. The collection’s main takeaway was Sicily, which accounts for the integration of a functional and elegant edge across the lineup: Its effect, in fact, acted as an artisanal proposal of offerings that oozed lightness and sensuality in equal measure.
Just in case those notions assembled didn’t quite mark the provenance of these ensembles, they dropped fluid, breezy shapes and a packed bunch of lemons that recalled the Mediterranean land.
The creatives’ fitful subtlety had obviously roared off somewhere on a 60-cc engine. That’s not to say that everything was familiar: Domenico and Stefano gave a contemporary spin to some crochet knitwear numbers by pairing them with preppy-style short shorts.
And, in a season where light separates have been reinterpreted over and over again, there was something alluring about their cool, crisp slouchy layers—reworked to perfection with chevron striped knits and tailored jackets in linen, which made the case for decorative abundance.
Breaking up all the repetition were silk swimwear worn with skin-tight shirts, plus a few cosy looks that added up to polish. All in all, the collection’s strength is the versatility of the pieces—the designers have fun with that stuff, and the fun is contagious. Hence the juggernaut.
by Chidozie Obasi