Fashion / STYLEcontrast to the Grecian floral motifs and Roman lattice
trimmings that appeared earlier.
The idea of drawing inspiration from Greek
mythology might sound cliched, but it madecomplete
sensefortheDolce&Gabbanadesigners,whohave
longbeenenamouredbySicily—alsothehometownof
DomenicoDolce. This mystical island in southernItalyis
the place where Greek goddesses such as Aphrodite,Hera,
AthenaandArtemisareallpartofthehistoricalnarrative,
inspiringartists,film-makersandphilosophersaroundthe
world.Astheshowpickedup,Icould nothelpbutnotice
how the designers were keeping to their brandDNAwith
all the built-in corsetry under bodices, as wellastheDolce
flowers blooming out of Roman vases or againstabackdrop
of delicate Sicilian lace. The look that stoodoutthemost
was a burgundy multilayered Grecian gownwithslitsup
to the thighs, cinched at the waist with a goldbeltfitfora
warrior. Imagine the powerful entrance onewouldmakeif
they wore this to the Singapore Tatler Ball!
Speaking of dramatic entrances, there arenowordsto
describe the five gowns that closed the show,particularly
the Tyrrhenian blue corset gown that Canadiansupermodel
Jessica Stam cascaded down the runway in.Thevolumeof
the ensemble alone covered the entire widthoftherunway,
brushingagainstthefeetofmanyafrontrowguest.Itwas
overthetop,etherealandelegantallatonce,andinaway
thatonlyDolce&Gabbanacanachieve.
Whentheshowended,thedesignerstooktheirbows
andwalkedtheentirelengthoftherunway,huggingfriends
andshakingplentyofhandsalongtheway.Theytook
time to mingle with the cheering crowd andeven obliged
the countless selfie requests. Their decision to be readily
accessible to their clientele in this way deviates from the
usualpracticeoffashiondesigners,whowouldpunctuate
theirshowswithaquickbowandexit.Perhapsthisiswhat
beingpartofthewhole“DGFamily”—a phrase I’ve heard
many times from loyal clients of the brand—entails.
Exactly at this point, I spotted a 70-year-old Chinese
grannywithhergrandchildrensmilingatthesightof
thefanfare.Sheremindedmeofthematriarchofa
traditionalfamily, especially with the way she sat tall with
her arms folded across her chest. I approached her slowly,
primed with my widest grin. She was friendly and as we
chatted about the breathtaking collection, I thought it was
appropriate to slip in the question. She smiled and patted
my hands gently, like how my late grandmother would, and
with a slight hint of assurance, she said, “You know, we
Chinese have also made a fool of ourselves when we travel.
Ignorance fuelled by arrogance. But that doesn’t mean they
are bad people; they were just unaware. And like us, they
[Dolce & Gabbana] are learning too. For us Chinese, we
stand by the word liang, which translates as magnanimous.
So it’s ok, it’s all in the past.”
Withthat,thebig-heartedmatronleftmecompletely
flooredasshejoinedtherestofherfamilyforthe
post-showdinner, concluding an unforgettable night
inSicily.Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana
taking their bows to thunderous applauseThe Alta Moda show concluded on a high note
at the historical Valle dei Templi in Agrigento, Sicily
singapore tatler. october 2019 93