We’re about to say something that hasn’t been said for a very long time now: this was a refreshing Dolce & Gabbana show! This is by no means a declaration of success, however, as there’s still a multitude of flaws among their 127-look Fall 2019 show. But they do deserve credit for finally veering away from their influencer-filled social media-hyped gimmicks and broadening their seasonal repertoire beyond their old-school Sicilian styles. The focus on classic and traditional aesthetics was still there, but it was a tad sharper than seasons past. The menswear section that opened the show was perhaps the most fascinating. Rigid suiting is an indelible signature of the design duo, but they always used to enthuse it with their own sexually subversive touches. Here, the suits were much more complete, and instead of lingerie pieces, the tailored jackets were paired with matching trousers, capes, and tophats—a little costume-y but still new nonetheless. Surprisingly, it’s their more feminine sections—namely the lingerie-inspired feather-trimmed chiffon parade and the voluminous array of wedding dresses—that failed miserably. Both parts looked tacky, ostentatious, and irrelevant. The same could be said with their never-ending selection of Sicilian-style black looks. A decade of them was already enough, we don’t need to see them beyond 2020! Still, we give credit where it’s due, and this season, it belongs to Dolce and Gabbana!
Photo: Alessandro Lucioni / Gorunway.com