IF you're looking for fashion theatre you can't do much better than Dolce & Gabbana: the pretty fairy lights in red, blue and green that decked out the catwalk space and echoed those on the postcard invitation; the papping frenzy when Scarlett Johansson walked in and took her seat; Paloma Faith in a ball gown (it was lunchtime) and then of course all the gorgeous girls in the clothes.
"I loved it. You could feel the spirit of a hot Sicilian summer - bedecked bodies in capricious full skirts and form-fitting bra tops," said Vogue's Emma Elwick-Bates after the show as a parade of girls shimmered down the catwalk in bejewelled one and two-pieces and gathered back at the top of the catwalk into beauty pageant poses while Mr Dolce and Mr Gabbana took their bows and the curtains closed - the end.
But back to the beginning. It seems that food is on the brain here in Milan. Following last night’s healthy Moschino Cheap & Chic outing, we were treated to another dose here with tomato, red onions and pepper printed skirts and any other fruit and/or vegetable you can think of - these boys are making sure you get your five a day whether you're eating them or wearing them.
Wicker baskets in hand, it was a nostalgic trip back in time to the Fifties with dirndl skirts holding hips and natty little jackets covered in floral appliqué – which grew, fittingly, like ivy up hems of dresses and engulfed necklines. These were the neat daywear looks – for when the fun of the morning shop to the local market is over and dinky little shorts and bra tops just won’t do.
But then their gal walked with even more of a wiggle – hardly surprisingly perhaps when “Hey mambo, mambo Italiano is blaring out - in stunningly glamorous chandelier dresses, encrusted and smothered with sparkle much like that that shone down from above. The jewels appeared on transparent rain macs too as though this girl had been caught in the most glamorous of rain storms.
A real sense of theatre, even though the duo announced this week that the D&G line was no more – and showed the last collection for it - this show proved that there is still a whole lot more to look forward to, whether two lines or one.
SEE THE DOLCE & GABBANA SHOW ARCHIVE