Dolce & Gabbana was my first show this season in Milan. I knew because of the vibrant colours of the Baroque flowers on the invite that I could expect a collection full of energy, which I very much needed after my 5am wakeup call.
The FW13 collection is very aptly entitled 'Devotion'. It was a love letter to Sicily, its traditions and its people. Just like the season before the 82 men and boys who walked the runway had been cast from Sicilian towns – Taormina, Palermo, Siracusa...
This season Domenico and Stefano played with different graphic motifs such as religious buildings or different images of the Madonna but, mostly, their intention was to make a signature of their florals so that just like leopard in their womenswear they can become the unequivocal symbol of the Dolce & Gabbana man. The flowers carefully painted over silk blazers of the first part of the collection soon gave way to needlepoint flowers, which gave life and texture to velvet jackets, wool coats and suede shoes.
The new collection was also surprisingly strong in terms of the more 'traditional' tailoring. The statement jackets covered in flowers were accompanied by the most stunning white crisp shirts in a number of different collar shapes and all finished off by hand-sewn lace, which can usually be found gracing the dining tables of Sicilian homes.
The more classic pieces had this beautiful flavour of the past brought to our time by slim silhouettes and luxurious details like satin-covered buttons and printed jacket linings. For the evening, the main focus is still velvet in blacks, greys, deep greens and rich burgundies all with satin-finished wide lapels and accompanied by the coolest velvet lace-ups a man could ever own.
Dolce & Gabbana lifted my mood and filled me with energy. Milan Fashion Week had officially started.
Courtesy of Dolce & Gabbana, Fashion Frankly
