Before I even mention the clothes, I must say how incredibly stunning, elegant and serene the new Dolce & Gabbana space on New Bond Street is. The furniture and decoration bring together traditional English elements, mostly linked to tailoring, and an Italian flavour that has the designer's last names written all over.
The store opening on Saturday evening marked the kick off of the latest edition of London Collections: Men so it was interesting that an Italian brand was the protagonist. Funnily enough, everything from the space to the collection and the atmosphere felt like a perfectly balanced mixture between Sicily and London.
The models wearing the SS14 tailoring collection had been prepped and groomed at Claridge's, from where they marched down Brook Street and onto New Bond Street inside the shop. The whole idea made me think of those old beautiful salon shows like Chanel or Christian Dior used to do at their ateliers. They were intimate and special and so was this.
The collection also had a fantastic combination of a southern Italian and an English point of view. Three-button double-chested blazers reminded me of the Mods and three-piece suits with micro checks or polka dots made you think of understated British elegance. But with a few injections of dark but bolder prints and patchwork and the always modern fit that Dolce & Gabbana is known for these British influences became their own.
As it could be expected, the event also brought out a lot of familiar faces – Kylie Minogue, Jeremy Irvine, the LC:M ambassador David Gandy, Sir Paul Smith and Oliver Cheshire and Thom Evans, who also participated on the catwalk.
The new store, which also includes a stunning barber shop, is going to be my new hairdresser's address so you can expect plenty of Instagram pictures from my monthly visits.
Courtesy of Dolce & Gabbana
