Scene setting: Catholic motifs are intrinsic to the Italian house, and for A/W 2018 the brand were keen to give their guests a deeper religious experience, with a show that presented fashion as a form of religion. Dolce & Gabbana created a runway set that resembled a resplendent church or the golden gates of heaven, lined with baroque cherubs and ancient scenes. Over the past few seasons, the brand has recruited millennials with overwhelming social media followings to star in its shows, and as guests anticipated another runway outpouring of Instagram ingénues, they were greeted instead with a series of drones which opened the show. Each one floated down the runway carrying a Dolce & Gabbana bag, like a bobbing celestial orb, guided by two models wearing lab coats, met by whoops and cheers from the audience.
Mood board: The ostentatious collection was brimming with religious motifs — bags resembling the Papal Tiara, cherubic tapestries, encrusted crosses, Latin typography, garments emblazoned with the slogans ‘Fashion Sinner’ and ‘Fashion Devotion’. It was a collection of wit and whimsy, a playful comment on Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce as creators, and the flocks of devotees that not just attend their shows but gather in hoards outside it. While the brand’s catwalk collections are always playful and eclectic, this was one brimming with even more imagination and exuberance, with models sporting pink Maria Antoinette wigs (a famed footwear obsessive), ruffled flamenco dresses and fringed two pieces that would make Elvis Presley proud.
Finishing touches: A model strode the catwalk with a bag saying ‘Do not disturb we are creating’ and the brand’s accessories were indeed a symbol of Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce’s wide imagination. Fake fur handbags, huge embellished crucifix earrings, encrusted crowns and of course those heart motif handbags transported by drones were just some of the accessories that ramped up the collection. Bow down.
