Let s start with the ending, since it was so great: a stage full of sparkly, colorful, drop-dead Hollywood gowns, the likes of which most designers in Italy have neglected to mention this season. Beyoncé Knowles, in the front row of Dolce Gabbana s Spring show, hyperventilated at the sight of Naomi Campbell swinging around in a mini showgirl number done entirely in spangled strands. "Oh, I d like the occasion to wear that!" she exclaimed afterward.
The rest of the going was just as good, a lighthearted tiptoe through a myriad of fifties- and sixties-era summertime references. Lilly Pulitzer-meets-Pucciesque period prints (with a bit of pop art thrown in) came jumbled up in a melee of little suits, lace coats, and gorgeous georgette beaded cardigans. But don t expect ladylike from the D&G boys. Their girls can t live without the opportunity to show some leg (preferably smothered in printed tights), and when they get into those curvy, lacy dresses, it s safe to assume their flowery underwear will find a way to flash out somehow.
Still, this is a lightened-up collection in one sense. Gone were the aggressive, punkish, oversexed elements Dolce Gabbana often throws into a show. (Even the signature black corsetry has been retired for the summer, turning up only as a token in crystal bands on pink.) They weren t missed. What s left is a slew of delicious separates that fit perfectly into the realm of pretty individualism everyone will be aiming for next summer.
