Romance is never far from the minds of Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabbana, and thus it was that the trousseau of a hopeful bride formed the basis of their spring/summer 2011 Dolce & Gabbana collection shown at Milan Fashion Week this afternoon.
The duo plundered the linen cupboards of Sicily for hoards of bedspreads, tea-towels, curtains and tablecloths - all white, all lacy or embroidered, and all suggesting the all-important "accessories" of a happy home.
But there is generally a little sting in the tail; in this case, the marriage scenario turned out to feature the "runaway bride" who had scissored her bedlinens into a luscious wardrobe of corsetry, dresses, maxiskirts and baby-dolls, in chiffon, stretch brocade, macramé, crochet, feather-light linen, and muslin.
For all its sweet and dainty innocence, the collection was still based on the duo's fine tradition of tailoring and stitching, seen especially in perfectly-cut pencil skirts, detailed with floral appliqués and lace; in the curve-seamed bustiers and corset-bodies, with - or without - full or ra-ra skirts; and in long maxi-dresses, in tiers of fine muslin and embroideries, which could easily have walked down the aisle - should the bride-to-be have had a change of heart.
Before the show began, in Dolce & Gabbana's Metropole Theatre, the audience was able to watch the build-up to the collection in the ateliers, and the pre-show hustle and bustle backstage, on banks of video screens.
Naomi Campbell, Kylie Minogue, and Jada Pinkett Smith and her daughter, Willow, were among the VIP guests in the front row, watching as the models paraded on an all-white catwalk. The clothes were accessorised with natural, wooden-heel sandals, trimmed with raffia, flowers and diamanté.
Being Dolce & Gabbana, of course, there was no getting away from a hint of leopard-print - mixed with white lace, natch! - and a suggestion of gentle florals.
The parade of lightweight tweed suiting, bolero and shorts sets, minidresses with rows of ribbons down the back, and below-the-knee, hourglass-slinks, all in white, and all encrusted with diamanté, drew spontaneous applause.
And then the models disappeared, only to reappear in the finale, all stripped down to "honeymoon" underwear - including a particularly saucy pair of frilly bloomers.
Featured Models
Natasha
Izabel Goulart
Karlie Kloss
Alessandra AmbrosioSasha Pivovarova
Caroline Trentini
Lily Donaldson
Freja Beha Erichsen
Edita Vilkeviciute
Toni Garrn
Heidi Mount
Chanel Iman
Karlie Kloss
Complete Collection
