For some kind of weird coincidence Dolce & Gabbana's A/W 18 runway took place a day before the launch in Rome of the Met Museum's Costume Institute's Spring 2018 Exhibition "Heavenly Bodies" (May 10 – October 8) about fashion and the Catholic imagination.
The show was once again steeped in classic Dolce & Gabbana's tropes inspired by the Catholic iconography and style with religious references lifted from the architecture of churches and sacred images of Madonnas, crosses and cherubs (recreated in sequins, crystals and gems on tops and dresses). There were also some religious slogans for the next season – "Santa Moda Ora Pro Nobis" (Saint Fashion Pray for Us), "Fashion Sinner" (printed on a black and white fashion nun inspired ensemble) and "Fashion Devotion" (mind you, this time D&G have left behind their obsession with ex votos).
Variations were added via looks that called to mind the attire of Madonna (the singer), in videos such as "La Isla Bonita" (remember her red gown?). Yet there was something even more ridiculous this time as if the duo was desperately trying to strengthen their bond with Catholic religion: while on Gucci's runway there was an intricately embroidered liturgical stole, here one skirt was decorated with an inverted triangular motif that called to mind the mitre, the ceremonial headdress of bishops consisting of a tall, white, peaked cap.
There were also bags shaped like a hanging incense burner, a tabernacle, a classic wardrobe of the types you may find in a sacresty and an elaborate bag reproducing a Papal tiara, a jewelled three-tiered crown used at papal coronations from 1305 (last used by Pope Paul VI in 1963).
The most embarrassing thing though came when a model donned a priest collar and another sashayed down the runway in a reinvented version of the "pretino" dress (literally "little priest dress"). Originally designed by the Sorelle Fontana (Fontana Sisters), the pretino was created in 1956 for Ava Gardner. At the time the three sisters even asked Catholic authorities for the permission to design the dress and the Vatican granted it.
Voluptuous Anita Ekberg donned a similar version of the "pretino" in Fellini's film "La Dolce Vita", disturbing the bourgeois consciences of the self-righteous.
In 1991, Krizia recreated two new versions of the "pretino" dress: both were mini-dresses, but one was decorated with high-prelate buttons and another, more similar to the model worn by Ekberg, was a black cady and white satin dress completed by a hat.
Apart from reproducing a vision of the Catholic church that is more similar to the one in Fellini's "Roma" than to Pope Francis', the collection looked like a parody of itself. Maybe Camera della Moda should start opening up the Fashion Week to religious tailoring houses working for the Vatican, you can bet they would come up with less ridiculous and costumy collections than this one.
Comments