Review of Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2023 Fashion Show
And So to Bed
By Angela Baidoo
Boiling their fall 2023 collection down to what they do best, Dolce & Gabbana focussed on tales best told after dark as the boudoir became the base for this seasons show.
Even though this is what the duo have always been known for, it is interesting to note that the way the Dolce & Gabbana woman is represented can sometimes err on the side of sex kitten.
A purest palette of black, white, gold, and lipstick red made for an easy to digest collection in four parts. An intimates-inspired section in black, which seemed to represent the female prowess alongside masculine tailoring – sharp and expertly cut. Dipping into gold brought high-octane disco-style lamés and maximalist embellishment – one corseted maxi number garnered audible appreciative murmurs from the crowd. Winter white was where this seasons outerwear options looked renewed, especially in a polar bear faux fur style. And to close, the colour that has been sweeping the season, namely Red, in a broad range of textures showing off the colours versatility – think glossy patent leathers, feathers, satin and oversized gemstones.
Even though this is what the duo have always been known for, it is interesting to note that the way the Dolce & Gabbana woman is represented can sometimes err on the side of sex kitten. The second look alone left little to the imagination, being that it was an extremely high cut lace and satin teddy worn with a sheer bra, that seemed like a throwback to an era when Joan Collins was starring in films titled ‘The Bitch’ and ‘The Stud’.
There is as an overall sense of designers moving towards the more sensual (which the pair claim to also be doing, when they explained their inspirations in a social media post “Sensuale [is] a new dimension of sensuality that make women spontaneous and natural”), a hint of something that may lay beneath, or a play on contour that emphasises the female form in a suggestive way, that puts the woman firmly in control. If, in developing the black section of the show, the designers mean for it to be merchandised in and amongst the lingerie category at retail, then in creating a new sensuality for the bedroom alone, they have succeeded. As daring as the younger generation have been known to be, even they may shy away from the sheer maxi dresses or bodycon lace sets as styled on the runway. Instead, the Social Media Managers over at Dolce & Gabbana HQ, are sure to find the brand tagged on Instagram and TikTok in remixed versions of the fall 2023 collection – from the lace tops paired with baggy denim, to the sheer chiffon wide-legs worn covered over with an oversized chunky knit – as both versions will align more with a modern sense of sensuality.
Last seasons muse, Kim Kardashian, sat front row at today’s show and as if in a nod to one of the products that the reality star and entrepreneur made famous, a number of the looks in the black section were topped off with what appeared to be Dolce & Gabbana branded waist-trainers. With the star herself recently coming in for some criticism due to her extreme weight-loss for the Met Gala, this may not be the smartest of products to push for its ‘Body Perfect’ rather than ‘Body Beautiful’ message.
Sprinkled like gold dust in the middle of the show, the gold ‘foil’ trench and fur-trimmed coats were something that only the house of Dolce & Gabbana could have pulled off.
The most successful corners of this collection could be found in the outerwear and tailoring, both of which created a powerful narrative. Longline relaxed tuxedos suits, complete with cummerbund and cropped waistcoat was a smart take on this symbolic style, and a maxi blazer dress worn with a slip pulled off the perfect embodiment of sultry and sensual.
The gold ‘foil’ trench and fur-trimmed coats were something that only the house of Dolce & Gabbana could have pulled off. Sprinkled like gold dust in the middle of the show, forget stealth wealth, next season the duo is bringing back the bling-bling noughties, and like the infamous Carrie Bradshaw – who was once fashion roadkill in Dolce & Gabbana – once said “I like my money right where I can see it, in my closet”.