Dolce and Gabbana is giving me unrealistic expectations about Italian people. Shame on them. Unless Italian women do indeed browse the local farmer's markets in silken hair scarves and perfectly defined eyebrows? Do they make a quick run to the bakery in intricately printed shift dresses with matching handbags? If so I need to plan my escape across the Atlantic.
But that is what I actually really loved about the show; although the outfits were shown on the runway, and not really what I would describe as ready-to-wear, they transported you to a real place; they felt authentic. I could easily envision a seaside town in Italy, the houses piled up one on top of each other on a steep hill that sloped down to meet the water, and I could envision these models as real people that were going about their everyday lives there. I truly appreciate fashion that is like that; gorgeous, well-designed, inventive and creative, but not preposterous. Fashion that flatters the models and that feels as though it could be worn off the catwalk. So let's give a hand to Dolce and Gabbana because they pulled that off perfectly.
(Sidenote: At the end of the show Dolce and Gabbana came out, and that was the first time I realized they were men. I have been shamed. I can no longer call myself a fashionista. But, in my defense, I just always thought of them as some kind of non-corporeal entity, okay?)
In any case, I went through and picked some of my favorite looks from the show. However, basically every look in the show was one of my favorites, so I'll really try to pare down, but this may run a little long. Also, these may or may not be in chronological order.
There were quite a few looks like this, but this one is definitely one of my favorites, and is also a good example of the baroque prints that were used, as well as the saturated colors mixed with the neutral tans and browns. I love the crew neck top with the cinched waist, and then the loose skirt; it's a shape that feels classic and that is flattering. I also like the length of the skirt. I feel like the length of skirts often determines the age of the look, and the lengths used in this show were perfect; they weren't too young, but they weren't old either. They brought to mind a woman who is mature and that has her life figured out. Almost timeless, I guess. Or maybe I'm reading too much into it.
This has got to be one of my favorite looks of the whole show. I have such a weakness for those little pantaloon bottoms that kept showing up throughout the show. Okay so auto correct is telling me pantaloon is not a word. WELL I DON'T PLAY BY YOUR RULES AUTO CORRECT. *collects self* The silhouette is really great, and again the waist is getting defined, which I appreciate because it's the most flattering thing to do with clothes in my opinion. I also love the stripes; they're done in a way so as not to look Parisian, but instead distinctly Italian, and I have no idea how that is pulled off. It's also not shown here, but the sleeves are slit up the sides, which creates a great flow when the model walks. This outfit gets a gold star.
This is one of the outfits in the show that I would wear in a heartbeat. I love the way the black and white stripes are done, the black not being too harsh and the white not too bright. It's also very flattering that the stripes were put horizontally on the bodice and vertically on the skirt to elongate. I'd love to know what the material is; it looks from the pictures like the fibery paper of an expensive card.
I've fallen for the silhouette of this outfit. The A-Line jacket over the matching top is perfect, and it's so classic. Pairing it with, well, basically no pants was actually a very good move in my opinion, because putting anything on the bottom would cause the top to look too boxy and the model voluminous. And again with the black and white stripes, ya gotta love 'em.
For some reason this skirt struck a chord in me. I literally squeaked when I saw it, and the thing is I have no idea why! I mean, it definitely doesn't stand out compared to the other pieces, but something about the way it's fitted from the waist up until the rib cage and then flares into an A-line for the bottom section came across really well on the runway. It also had really good movement; it flounced.
Let us just take a moment to appreciate the matching sunglasses. They brought that little touch of glamour into my life that I had no idea I needed. But the dress is also perfection. I would honestly never think of putting brown with red like that, and when I first saw this look I was dubious. But then as I looked a little more I realized that it actually worked, which really surprised me. The dress itself is a little bit understated, but in a good way because there is such attention to detail in the pleats on the skirt, and the way the top is darted. The length worked well with the V-neck but longish sleeves; all the outfits in this show were balanced so as not to seem young or old, so where there was a short skirt, there would often be longer sleeves, and vice versa, which I appreciated.
So. These. Uhm. Well.
I really wasn't much of a fan of these two dresses. I think they interrupted the feel of the show; the classic, Italian seaside scene. They were a little overworked in my opinion, and the first looks a little too crafty for my tastes.
This dress introduced more of the color palette that the show transitioned into; the burlap color with these gorgeous prints. I took note of this dress because of the fit; the tight torso with the tight bust was something that I hadn't seen in the show before. The way the dress ended mid-calf balanced it out though, and kept it looking too young. I like that you can get an un-interrupted view of the print on this dress. I hadn't realized that the faces weren't Renaissance style, which for some reason I expected, but the style they were done in added a bit of a fun and artsy quality.
This poor chica was mid-blink when her picture was taken. She still looks fabulous though. This look accentuated the beachy vibe in my opinion; the sheer fabric brings to mind a cover-up, and the high-waisted bottoms underneath bring to mind an old bathing suit. I would also like to use this picture to address the wonderful silk scarves that were used in the models' hair and that coordinate wonderfully with their respective outfits. It's a small touch that adds a lot of personality to all the outfits. On the topic of accessories, I actually disapprove of the bag in this outfit, as well as the earrings. I don't really love the colors with the clean blue and white of the dress. However, this is a rare occasion of me not liking the bags. Most of the outfits I thought they were spot-on.
This is bringing back the burlap theme that was introduced in one of the aforementioned dresses. I love the shape and the fit of this, and the graphics on the front, and this is a case where I think that the accessories all work perfectly. This is one of the very few ensembles I would describe as cute.
OKAY THIS IS GETTING REALLY LONG FEEL FREE TO JUST SKIM BECAUSE I'M ACCIDENTALLY WRITING A NOVEL SORRY!
I really am a sucker for crew neck, defined waist, and flared skirt you guys. It's just such a classic silhouette and it looks so great on pretty much anyone. And I love that Dolce and Gabbana takes advantage of that and uses it a lot. I honestly can't stand these runway shows you see where these models are wearing things that are downright unflattering on their bodies! And I know that may be somewhat of an antiquated view to take, because designers are experimenting with new shapes and fashion has turned more and more into being about art and statements instead of dressing women in beautiful things that look good on them. In any case I love the color scheme for this. Again with the brown! It always seemed like a tricky color to pair with things, but Dolce and Gabbana have found the exact right shades to work together.
The green of this outfit is glorious. My mom told me when I was just a wee thing about "Italian Colors". Italian Colors are superlative to all other colors. Italian colors are the royalty and all other colors the peasants. But it actually is true; all the colors in this show are distinctly Italian, and they are all gorgeous. The hues are neither bland nor garish, and they work so perfectly together. The tote that was paired with this dress is perfect, bringing in the brighter green and saturated blue. My complaint is the length, though. It just seems one or two inches too short, even though I know they were going for very short.
These shorts and shift-shirt ensembles showed up a few times though out the show, and I fell in love. The pattern of the shorts with the pattern of the top works well together, and the brightness of the accessories bring out the bright spots in the design. I'm not so sure how this would look on someone who isn't a size triple zero, though. It sort of hangs on the runway models, and that looks good, but it's not the kind of look that can be filled out without losing it's appeal.
THE BLOOMERS ARE BACK! They make me so happy. The red on top of the burlap worked very well, and I love how the bloomers were paired with the cropped jacket. The shoes match perfectly.
Well that's not flattering...
This was the perfect piece to finish off the show. The basket weave is gorgeous, but still quaint and completely goes with the rest of the show even though it's amping up the wow factor a bit. The black sheer draped over it worked so well to lend elegance and airiness to the stiffness of the cage. I really liked the contrast between the two materials comprising this look; it's elegant and beautiful, but strong and true to it's roots.
This was really a great show in my opinion. It felt very authentic and classic, using flattering silhouettes, and it was so, just, ITALIAN, which of course I love because I'm Italian and wildly nationalistic. The accessories were right on point, boosting outfits up just that little bit more that they needed, and the clothes themselves were masterfully designed with love. Bravo Dolce and Gabbana!
All Photos from Vogue.Co.Uk
http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/spring-summer-2013/ready-to-wear/dolce-and-gabbana
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