Dolce & Gabanna White Lace Dreams
White lace is the order of the day at Dolce & Gabbana, with the designer duo embracing all things lace at a recent fashion show in Milan in which lace proved to be a most versatile medium. Indeed, one was left with the impression that there is apparently absolutely nothing that cannot be transformed into white lace, and though white lace dresses made frequent appearances, the lace did not end there and extended into lady suits, jackets, short skirts, bloomers, corsets and babydolls.
The white lace, dare I say tedium? No, I dare not, was relieved by signature touches of leopard print and large hooped gold earrings. Black lace was also allowed in for contrast on occasion, though its use was limited, lest it corrupt the innocence and purity of all those swathes of lace 'bianco'.
Floral prints also made an occasional appearance, adding to the hyper femininity of the event. Used judiciously ( in order to offset the diaper effect of bloomers that will never be seen off the runway), they reaffirmed the grand vision of the show, which seemed to be one of purity. Indeed, the show was introduced with a series of images related to the 'corredo', the traditional collection of clothes and linens set aside for a bride before her wedding.
It was, in many respects, the quintissential spring show. If spring is the season for the bringing forth of new life, then the Dolce & Gabanna show was a breathing of new life into the notion of lace - which is being seen in many forms all over the catwalks this season. The focus on white lace and floral patterns which were echoed in the lace designs themselves, complete with the suggestion of a bride preparing for her wedding day were consistent with the overarching theme. New life, new fashion, new clothes.
In an interesting rebellion against the ideas of new minimalism which can be seen all over, Dolce & Gabanna made detail a key point. After all, lace is, in and of itself, a matter of micro detail, and the particular laces used in many of the dresses and other outfits was exquisite in and of itself quite apart from the garment it comprised, yet still very traditional in its theme.
Indeed, in contrast to the 'bridal' theme, there was a great deal of the maturity in the collection. If one ignored the expanses of bare leg, one saw rather demure, proper pieces comprised of high neck lines, long sleeves and even longer skirts.
