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Dolce & Gabbana

MILAN, June 19, 2010
By Tim Blanks
Designers mostly spend their lives in pursuit of the new. But with both their women's and men's collections, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have been going back to their roots of late, emphasizing what's most authentic about their vision and resetting their compass for true north.

It started with the soundtrack, which replaced the usual rampant disco with Annie Lennox, singing alone at her piano. The audience kept cheering at the appearance of Tony Ward, who starred in Dolce & Gabbana's first men's campaign 20 years ago (when he was still dating Madonna, the most recent Dolce face). Other models included the label's most memorable torsos: Christian Monzon, Enrique Palacios, Tyson Ballou, Evandro Soldati, and David Gandy. Here, they staged an almighty battle of the bods.

But enough with the sideshow. The collection itself refreshed the house's classic signatures, primarily Sicily, where Dolce learned his formidable tailoring skills. Those were on display here in an elegant three-piece suit in white linen, as sported by the lord of the manor, and in a softly structured black version that his tenant farmers might wear with a white shirt for Sunday best. Blousons in leather mesh or perforated suede highlighted the label's craftsmanship. And the trademark Dolce sensuality was present in tank tops, slouchy knits, and distressed jeans loosely belted with rope; all boasted the kind of seductive attitude—indolent, up for it—that has helped these designers build a billion-dollar business.

Contrasted with that were sharply defined pieces like the black-and-white-striped knit polos with matching shorts, and the familiar march past of several dozen tuxedo variants. After that, the boys gathered around the piano for a final sing-along with Annie, and the curtain came down on her last celebratory whoop. The audience couldn't have agreed more.

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