Dolce & Gabbana do 'Boudoir & Gabbana'

By

Godfrey Deeny

Published
Feb 26, 2023

Dolce & Gabbana, on second thoughts make that 'Boudoir & Gabbana', seeing half the cast was in lingerie in this show, where Kim Kardashian sat in the front row.

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La Kim, as the Milanese call her, poured into a clinging crimson red sequined cocktail sat down in a blaze of paparazzi flashes. Security guards scrambled to contain the crowds. Order restored professionally, the lights went down and over the speakers came the theme music to Visconti’s classic 1963 film Il Gattopardo. Domenico and Stefano begin every show with this orchestral composition.
 
The duo had made clear their intentions from the newspaper supplement style invitation – 32 pages shot in black and white, half of which was lingerie.

When it comes to underwear as outerwear or boudoir cool in general, well Dolce & Gabbana more or less invented the categories. And they showed their mastery of it again on this Saturday with this show inside the custom-built space.

All the way from the opening looks – semi-sheer leotards that morphed into floor-length gowns. A sheer mesh cocktail over lace underwear, topped by a giant wreath of cock feathers. Largely transparent gowns tied, knotted, asymmetrically cut, and looped – all of them skilfully achieved.
 
Before everything surely turned into gold – from battered metallic silk cocktails, to blindingly bright gold gala coats.  An entire section whose first three rows was devoted to Asian influencers went into an iPhone feeding frenzy at the gold.
 
Backed up by dramatic techno industrial soundtrack by First Nation Canadian DJ Anyma, the cast finally began to put on some clothes. 

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Matinee idol tuxedos: slinky coat dresses in technical wool, topped by Klondike-worthy fur lapels; micro-Spencers paired with jodhpurs; and a great band leader set of tails. Before a leggy beauty swept into vista in bra and pants covered by the world’s biggest black shearling coat. 
 
Like the gents last show, this was mostly in black, before the blast of Fort Knox gold panache, and a finale of sinful red.
 
The collection was saucy and seductive, energetic, and empowering, precisely because it said that women can enhance, flaunt and demonstrate their beauty as much as they want. Not to be objectified but to be objects of beauty.