Madonna is surprise attraction at Dolce & Gabbana Milan show
Step aside_ influencers! Madonna was the star attraction Saturday at the Dolce & Gabbana show in Milan_ the week's top celebrity sighting that risked overshadowing the brand's all-black collection of ultra-feminine looks.
Arriving 45 minutes late_ the "Material Girl" made her way to her seat -- next to fashion doyenne Anna Wintour_ no less -- wearing a short black corset-style dress underneath a black jacket_ dark glasses and turquoise gloves.
And when Madonna is at your show during Milan Fashion Week_ you practically leap from the catwalk to greet her_ as did Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce afterwards_ escorting their guest backstage to the flash of hundreds of cameras.
Madonna_ who has worked with D&G since the 1990s_ stars in the brand's campaign for its The One perfume along with actor Alberto Guerra_ also at the show.
The latest collection from the design pair was inspired by the idea of identity_ according to the show notes_ and built on "Sicily as emotion_ black as strength_ lace as intimacy_ tailoring as authority".
Double-breasted panels featured on sharply tailored menswear-inspired black coats_ trenches and pinstripe suits -- but placed on the garment's back side_ offering a surprise enjoyed from both directions on the catwalk.
The designers heavily tapped black lace and sheer silk organza_ allowing for ample glimpses of skin despite skirts cut to the shins_ some with flouncy hems.
The lingerie feel pervaded the collection_ on minidresses with long sleeves_ flowing skirts_ see-through tops or on bralettes worn underneath other lacey looks.
Love life
As in many of D&G's past collections_ Sicily_ the birthplace of Dolce_ loomed large_ whether in the knit fringed shawls that recalled elderly Sicilian widows or the black kerchiefs tied under the chin covering the models' hair.
The expert crochet handiwork on sweaters and shawls could have been done by Sicilian grandmothers -- who would likely have been shocked by how the old-fashioned technique became modern and sexy in the hands of the two designers.
A black corset and garters over hot pants were accessorised by a scarf that recalled a Sicilian staple_ a fishing net_ with its open weave.
Little black dresses were structured_ sensual and very tight_ while imposing (fake) fur coats were belted and paired with black kerchiefs.
One showstopper with diagonal white-and-black stripes would have made Disney villainess Cruella de Vil proud_ while another in rich brown and black tones looked as if it could have been worn by Edie Beale in the 1975 queer culture classic_ documentary "Grey Gardens".
After the show_ D&G Chief Executive Alfonso Dolce_ Domenico's brother_ declined to comment on the current environment in the luxury industry_ but told AFP that "we need to be positive_ love life_ and do our best every day in what we can do.
"We need love and peace_ because if we have that_ we have everything."