Mood board: The Dolce & Gabbana brand is synonymous with brute sexiness. S/S 2020 took the codes of Sicily and ‘put them in the jungle,’ as the design-ers said ahead of the show. A lace cardigan had Animalia patches; cockatoos and Bird of Paradise were printed onto silk jackets and trousers. Sporting references ranged from running and tennis to box-ing. The sharpness of the 1950s was evoked in the wide glittery lapels, high waisted trousers and collared knits. Classic Italian floor tiles were used as repeat patterns on silk and cotton separates.
Best in show: The prints were standout – previous seasons have seen a plethora of designs created in homage to the duo’s Italian roots, such as A/W 2019’s coffee bean/espresso cup motif. This season they persevered with playfulness, using bananas, coconuts, pineapple and parrot prints as well as a repeat vintage Bentley drawing. Saucy 1950s pinups and glamour girls appeared on patches attached to safari jackets and on the front of Hawaiian cut shirts. Their smiles beckoned beneath the words: ‘Choose Love’ and ‘Good Vibes Only’. The wide lapel bowling shirts were pure Elvis.
Scene setting: At the head of the runway was a colossal jungle, which trilled as Dinah Washington played loud before the show. The invitation, a printed postcard in leopard print, matched the iconic animal markings wrap-ping the catwalk. A life-sized fibre-glass jaguar and leopard by the Swedish artist Anne Andersson, taken from the designers’ personal collection, stalked the sultry, safari mood.
