Dolce & Gabbana S/S 2010 : Madonna by Steven Klein

[Northern Star]

I totally get the Monica Vitti inspiration and all that but this is a major failure IMO. Meisel did this kind of ad for them so much better.....although these look like poor imitations.
It would be quite easy to ignore the fact that Madonna is in these ads as in some pics it hardly looks like her, apart from her showcasing her t*ts as usual.

 

[Crying Diamonds]

Really, really different from the mechanical sex campaigns Dolce have had for years. I like it.
I would have preferred to see Madonna in a much more natural pose in the kitchen instead of the pout - it would have been more scandalous.

 

[Escale Cherie II]

I like it, but I agree on the first page about Mr. Klein. It looks a little like the late 90s early 00s that was done with Steven Meisel and Gisele (some of my favorite ads btw ), which is good, but I also feel like I've seen it before, and it does not look like an ad, like an editorial where you can't get a good look at the clothes. And it's Klein, who is too eccentric for the brand, and Madonna, who isn't a bad trendsetter and follower, but a really bad model I like it better than her LV ads, a lot.
And I do love the collection

 

[Festat]

I love it. Really.

 

[lucy92]

wwd...

An 18-year long friendship wasn’t enough to dissipate the fear that Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce nurtured toward Madonna when it came to doing something “more business-y” together.

“We were always afraid it would ruin our relationship,” contended Gabbana.

Not anymore. As part of a flurry of activity between the designers and pop icon, including the filming of the “Celebration” video inside Metropol, the designers’ Milanese runway venue, Madonna agreed to appear in the Dolce & Gabbana spring campaign.

Steven Klein snapped the eight black-and-white, horizontal pictures in a former lay convent in Uptown Manhattan. They will appear in groups of two or three to better display the reportage effect. A budget for the campaign, which breaks in February fashion titles, wasn’t available, though Gabbana described the investment as a “serious one.”

 

[Festat]

Oh, well, I've often said 'leave modeling to models', but as a big fan of Madonna I'm glad to see her 'less overly photoshopped', like they did in the LV campaign. Like Crying Diamonds, I too would rather see more natural expressions than those, this would be the only thing I would change.
Overall I really, really like it.

 

[mikeijames]

I'm actually quite surprised to say that from a photography perspective, I love these!

When I stumbled across the headline "Madonna: Dolce & Gabbana's Spring 2010 ad campaign" on another website, my first thought was, "Oh Lord, no." As a personality, I strongly dislike Madonna, and her Louis Vuitton campaign was not only Photoshopped to death, it was generally dreadful (though this is something I've come to expect of LV campaigns at this point).

But seeing the photos, I was instantly swayed in favor of them. The airbrushing, though def. there, isn't as shamelessly obvious as in the LV campaign, nor have they tried to make excuses for it by shoving all kinds of other Photoshop filters down our throats.

Now, Madonna has never been a great actress, and age has taken its toll on her -- combine that with airbrushing and some of her photos will inevitably be a bit stiff. But there's something very lovable about her in these, and def. something ironic. Apart from the second picture -- in which her eyes look rather lopsided, while her expression doesn't really fit the situation -- I'm really feeling these. Photography-wise, anyway. I'm so happy to see Madonna's softened her image from those ridiculous Hard Candy days; it's really made her years younger and more approachable.

From an advertising perspective, however, I will admit I'm not sure this is the best representation of D&G. Like someone already pointed out here, the pics are rather ed-esque, and the clothing isn't that visibly displayed. But, on second thought, I find the ambiguity kind of charming, actually. Come to think of it, it's one of the reasons I've never liked LV as a label -- because I don't like having labels shoved in my face.

from an advertising perspective, though, it's MADONNA. the exposure they obtain from her mere celebrity trumps the idea. also, the fact that it's SO different from every other fashion ad we've seen so far keeps the interest of us tried-and-true fashion folk.

 

[MissMagAddict]

Complete Article from WWD

source | wwd.com

MILAN — Their 18-year friendship with Madonna wasn’t enough to ease the fears that Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce had about doing something “more business-y” with the pop icon.

“We were always afraid it would ruin our relationship,” contended Gabbana.

Not anymore. As part of a flurry of activity between the designers and Madonna, including the filming of the “Celebration” video inside Metropol, the designers’ Milanese runway venue, she agreed to appear in the Dolce & Gabbana spring campaign.

Steven Klein snapped the eight black-and-white, horizontal pictures in a former lay convent in uptown Manhattan. They will appear in groups of two or three to better display the reportage effect. A budget for the campaign, which breaks in February fashion titles, wasn’t available, though Gabbana described the investment as a “serious one.”

The shoot mirrors the mood of the designers’ sexy spring show, brimming with heritage Dolce & Gabbana staples and romantic accoutrements. “The collection is very Italian, very Sicilian,” said Gabbana. “It’s a return to our roots with a modern angle, so we asked Madonna to interpret it in a different and human way. We believe that people are ready for a new message.”

That message has Madonna playing a housewife, albeit a sensual one, carrying out her daily chores. Madonna appears holding a broomstick, washing dishes in a bubble-filled sink, eating spaghetti with her fingers and chopping vegetables, surrounded by lace curtains and tablecloths, dishcloths and old wooden furniture.

For the campaign, Madonna chose a number of looks, including crocheted tops and dresses, floral skirts and leopard spots, which she mismatched to her taste.

During a brainstorming session before the shoot (Gabbana marveled at how well versed Madonna is on old Italian movies), they all agreed on Luchino Visconti’s film “Bellissima” as an inspiration. Released in 1951, the neorealist film stars Anna Magnani and Walter Chiari.

In one shot, Madonna even appears as a latter-day Magnani, gazing off-camera with tear-smoldered cheeks. “She really cried, she really dipped into the part and took it very seriously,” gushed Gabbana.

 

[Festat]

Oh, how cute. I love Anna.
But, well, I can only see Magnani in the setting and the cleavage, lol. The looks are totally Monica Vitti.

 

[TREVOFASHIONISTO]

i wish it was in color
the florals wee amazing

 

[LagerfeldBoy]

This definately would've been outstanding in color. The reds and florals were such a core element of the collection and it would've been great to see atleast that.

 

[ad041715]

My first reaction was "No no please god, no!" I can't believe some people like this. It might be womanly, but this in no way showcases the clothes well nor does this scream "DOLCE & GABBANA" when your looking at it. What happened to the good 'ol days of controversial Dolce ads or even better, the days when Meisel shot them!?

Absolutely horrible. You hire Madonna, who's an icon when it comes to controversy, to front a dark, gothic collection and you put her in some hotel room eating spaghetti and washing dishes!!!???

 

[Carla-A]

The campaign is itself doesn't seem to be that bad... but I keep repeating that Madonna isn't a good choice to embody a luxury brand, even though it's D&G! I definitely can't see any elegance in her attitude, her face, and even her body

 

[TheCheekyCritic]

from an advertising perspective, though, it's MADONNA. the exposure they obtain from her mere celebrity trumps the idea. also, the fact that it's SO different from every other fashion ad we've seen so far keeps the interest of us tried-and-true fashion folk.

Well, obviously there is the fame factor of Madonna, but for someone who has no interest in her (such as myself), it would be interesting to see more of the clothing, eye-catching though this campaign already is as such. (Then again, the previews we've seen here are also a little dark -- I imagine that the pictures are a lot clearer IRL.) That's why I said that as it is, it isn't the best representation of D&G, the label. I didn't say it wasn't good.

This is such a step from their earlier ad campaign aesthetic, though. I've never been this happy with a D&G campaign.

 

[AD011620]

I think she gained a little bit of weight and she looks so much better...

 

[j'adorekapusta]

My first reaction was "No no please god, no!" I can't believe some people like this. It might be womanly, but this in no way showcases the clothes well nor does this scream "DOLCE & GABBANA" when your looking at it. What happened to the good 'ol days of controversial Dolce ads or even better, the days when Meisel shot them!?

Absolutely horrible. You hire Madonna, who's an icon when it comes to controversy, to front a dark, gothic collection and you put her in some hotel room eating spaghetti and washing dishes!!!???

correct me if i'm wrong, but wasn't the screaming dolce&gabbana spirit the main reason for criticism of previous d&g campaigns? i do feel this step aside is actually a step forward.

 

[BerlinRocks]

I certainly don't hate the idea - but it seems to be missing the magic of the Gisele ones, where it really was like an artfully constructed still from a film, because if your eyes strayed from the model, there was still plenty to see in the secondary characters in the frame. There were layers of storylines in the Gisele version.

Though it makes me wonder if we should expect Madonna to turn up as the new Versace woman in two seasons' time, especially considering she's done that gig several times in the past.

100 % agree !

 

[vogue28]

Is it me or do I see Jesus Luz in this shot here? I certainly see a man in her face there.

 

[hfgl]

I just noticed those are by Klein.Oh.

 

[XavierRaphael]

Its alright..eh.