"Once upon a time in Sicily" was the main theme of Dolce & Gabbana's Autumn/Winter 2014 collection.
The fairy theme was strong in this collection envisaged as a fantasy journey through enchanted Sicily with appliquéd birds, owls, swans, squirrels and foxes on tops and lace shifts (such animals reappeared in quite a few trendy collections in the last few years, including Valentino's Pre-Fall 2014, remember also Burberry Prorsum's A/W 2012 owls?); dresses with prints of keys to enchanted gardens or to the secret room in Bluebird's castle, and Little Red Riding Hood fur capes, all showcased on a background of Tchaikovsky's "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy".
Maybe realising that, while some women want to be fairies, others would be quite keen on being the protagonist of darker tales à la Angela Carter, the duo introduced other themes in the collection.
Dark Gothic nuances shifted indeed the collection towards other influences: Dolce & Gabbana referenced the Middle Ages in their Autumn/Winter 2014 menswear collection, and they opted to revisit this historical period in the womenswear looks through embroidered hoods and gauntlets.
Yet the Medieval theme is definitely not new in fashion: while we saw Rick Owens coming up with monastic rocket-shaped hoods in his Autumn/Winter 2011/12 collection, the Medieval times were relaunched in the '70s by the Sorelle Fontana.
At the time the three sisters came up with a collection that featured ecclesiastical styles directly borrowed from the Middle Ages, creating a series of gowns with matching hoods covered in intricate embroideries.
While there were no crosses and overt references to the church in general as it is customary in Dolce & Gabbana's designs, the collection seemed to reference here and there the skeletons of alleged saints covered in tulle, lace, pearls, golden thread and jewels seen in the volume Heavenly Bodies: Cult Treasures and Spectacular Saints from the Catacombs, published last year.
Quite a few coats, gloves, bags and shoes in Dolce & Gabbana's collection were indeed covered in dense embroideries, beads and faux gemstones.
The duo stated that the fairy tales in the collection were directly linked to the Norman kings who invaded Sicily bringing with them their stories and traditions, but there were moments in which the lack of proper historical references to the kingdom of Norman Sicily (example the mingling of Christian and Muslim art and culture), pointed not to history, but towards a pastiche of romantic moods, Medieval designs from the '70s Italian fashion scene and striking visual images borrowed from art rolled with a few episodes of Game of Thrones.
That said, the Middle Ages remain a poignant reference to our culturally dark times in which many talented people are left behind while the less knowledgeable ones are pushed forward. So, for the next Autmn/Winter season let's hope that the Middle Ages remain confined to a fashion trend - what we genuinely need is indeed a fashion and culural Renaissance.
Member of the Boxxet Network of Blogs, Videos and Photos
Member of the Boxxet Network of Blogs, Videos and Photos
Comments