Rebel Visionaire: DOLCE & GABBANA FALL 2014

Crusaders and knights from the medieval period walked down the runway show of the Italian duo, Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabbana, in a marriage of history and the D&G Sicilian uomo fatale. A by the book philosophy on which they base their success for the past few seasons, giving religion a kick in the bible and the rest of us something to cheer up for.

Style wise their shows are always to the point. From the crowns and embellished gloves and shoes everything screams bejeweled knights and Kings of times gone by, while they manage to keep the cut and shape the same season after season. Smart or unimaginative the collections are a continual storytelling of allegories and blendings of materials in an attempt to recreate bygone figures for present use. An ingenious example is the sometimes studded, sometimes not, hood and gloves that create an overall image of the crusaders of the holy war or even the direct use of symbols such as the cross. Greys, browns, deep red, burgundy and dark emerald team up with velvet, fur and silk in a lavish spectacle of no less than 75 looks.

Apart from loving it from beginning to end I couldn't help but feel tired already of designers going crazy over something that gave them a success story in the past. It happened with Tisci at Givenchy and it happens again with D&G. It so happens for both that religion and historical figures of all shorts are used in a way to provoke , therefore be dealt as successful.

Other than that it was a great show and the Italian label proved once more what being a "man" is all about.