Postcard from Milan: Dolce & Gabbana

Fashion director Hope Greenberg reports from the runways of Milan.

Milan has had such a strong season so far--one of the best overall in years--and it was great to see Dolce & Gabbana follow suit with an incredible show.

Instead of what has become their usual pyrotechnics (mirrored sets with moving platforms, dramatic lighting and multi-level runways), they kept the staging simple and just showed sexy, beautifully made, wearable (for Dolce) clothes against an unembellished background. There were video screens over the runway showing real-time footage from backstage that added to the excitement, as the models came out in a masculine/feminine parade of southern Italian/Spanish-inspired clothes.

On the masculine side there were matador-like pantsuits on models with boyishly cropped hair. The feminine component started with 50s-style corsets as underpinning black lace, fringe and/or macrame dresses; proper white-lace pieces with the trademark Dolce siren spin; a red and black leopard-print group that managed to look amazingly classy; and even some denim numbers trimmed with black lace that played as sweet.

The only print other than leopard was stretch satin patterned with large cabbage roses that felt like old, beloved Dolce.

The finale, which had the audience going nuts, sent all of the models out at once in just the corsets they had worn under their looks. You kind of wanted to jump up at the end and kiss the Dolce guys for giving everyone--buyers, editors and customers--exactly what they need right now.

More from LuckyMag.com:

Best of the Runways: Milan

Postcard from Milan: Armani, D&G

Photo credit: WWD