“Glamorous, but not so much,” said Stefano Gabbana before the Dolce & Gabbana show. Yes and no. Certainly he and Domenico Dolce toned down their usual pile-it-on approach as well as their typical sex-and-sizzle factor. But rather than dampen the glam factor of the terrific collection they showed on Saturday, here it was realized in clothes with obvious commercial appeal.
The Dolce business is red hot, with 20 percent growth anticipated for the fiscal year ending March 31. In recent seasons, the designers have become increasingly inclined to celebrate the fuel for such numbers on the runway. This time they did so more than ever, with a spirited parade that worked a Mod motif with smart restraint, and clear validity for less than — or more than — perfect figures. Numerous suits had skirts tucked gently at the waist for ease, and terrific classic cardigan and V-neck sweaters were worn on the loose side.
The collection was about as tony as it gets. The designers had started out by papering their studio with David Bailey photographs of Jean Shrimpton, then worked in a Russian undercurrent, “just as London beat culture was slightly influenced by Russia,” Gabbana said. Translation: fur, fur and then some, worked into just about every piece of clothing imaginable as well as endless trimmings. A micromini broadtail ensemble swung Sixties London; a kidskin fur suit with a blue blouse tied elegantly at the neck worked the more chi-chi side of chic. Then there were the coats, some all fluff, others in men’s wear patterns with fur borders, inspired by, but countless modern steps removed from, Zhivago-land.
While the designers worked their Bailey-Shrimpton motif lightly, they did play to the mood with certain elements beyond the Sixties hair and lovely makeup. Gigantic buttons set on wide, off-center plackets closed jackets and coats, and tall fur hats or captains’ caps finished many looks.
Perhaps in a nod to the next day’s Oscars, discreet glam went out the window at night, in a diamond-and-white rhapsody of feathers, fur and dazzling crystal mesh. “Almost everything is short,” Gabbana said. “But still Hollywood.”
, my favorites on daria and on gemma
