Hey Mambo, Mambo Italiano! Dolce and Gabbana fully embraced their heritage for their Spring/Summer 2012 catwalk show at Milan Fashion Week. This collection was a celebration of the real Italian woman, if that Italian woman lived in a picturesque village in the Tuscan hills during 1956. There was a definite nod towards Sophia Loren in her youth as models sashayed down the catwalk in cropped bra tops and full, flared skirts, all printed with typically Mediterranean vegetables: courgettes, tomatoes and aubergines never looked so desirable. Proper Fifties-style playsuits, womanly sheer summer dresses and swing jackets over shift dresses all completed the vintage look. The chilli print was a stand-out success – a dress that looks like it was made from a tablecloth shouldn’t work, but this was fashion ratatouille at it’s very best... Not to mention the earrings made from plastic cloves of garlic and pasta bows. That’s right, farfalle just got fashion-ified.
Peach, blue and cream floral cut work lace was put to use for even more feminine shapes; Stefano and Domenico even reworked the long sleeved, knee length shape that was such a huge hit in sequinned form last season. The collection then moved into a selection of evening looks in sultry black lace; sweetheart necklines, fishtail pencil skirts and totally sheer black frocks had been designed with the quintessential Dolce girl in mind (Scarlett Johannson, please stand up.) A spectacular finale of sequinned showgirl outfits made for a truly dazzling finish.
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