In classic Dolce and Gabbana fashion, designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have taken their love affair with their beloved Italy and reimagined their country’s beauty from the eyes of the tourists who began to flood the country after WWII in the 1940’s. This post war era is believed by both designers to be the time when Italian fashion was born when tourists began buying local wears that Italian women had been handcrafting in their homes. The Dolce and Gabbana SS16 collection is ornamented with Italian landmarks, stripes reminiscent of the famous Venetian gondoliers and hand painted heels nodded to the bright ceramics and exciting patterns of Tuscany.

Behind the scenes, their inspiration boards were pasted on vintage posters, classic movie stills and advertisements for Rome, Capri, Rome and Florence.

Domenico and Stefano’s beaming pride of their country takes us to some of Italy’s most famous landmarks: St. Peter’s Basilica, The Grand Canal and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Sexy black corsets and crop tops peeked from underneath classic feminine dresses with embroidered daisies remindful of the flower gardens on Venetian balconies and delicate lace doilies evocative of fine table linens that soaked up years of family memories. You’ll also find feminine bolero blazers, shift dresses and stripped swimsuits reminiscent of the gorgeous Amalfi Coast.

Also in step with the sightseeing theme, Spring’s accessories took us all for a beautiful tour of Italy. The iconic Dolce box is updated this season in line with the tourist storyline with woven raffia totes, multi colored straw buckets and camera cases. Pom pom tasseled boots shaped like the Venice gondolas, wrap around sandals, leather slides and hand painted heels all manifested the vision of a colorful Sicilian summer.

Reimagined headphones, headband crowns and cell phone cases soaked in classic Italian emblems and jewels gave way to a post modern nod to the Italian tourist. Every last detail in Dolce and Gabbana SS16 collection is an ode to the rich traditions, artistic treasures and heart thumping landscapes rivaled by few and coveted by many.

 

About the Author

Alex English is the Head of Content Marketing at italist.com, building on a lifelong passion for fashion and luxury. After publishing a lifestyle blog for nearly ten years and obtaining an MBA in Milan at SDA Bocconi, one of Europe’s top business schools, he joined the italist team in 2019. His work since then has focused on upper-funnel messaging, brand storytelling, establishing italist as a thought leader in the space, and enriching the customer experience on the platform. Find him on LinkedIn.