How clever of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana to hit on young Elvis Presley in his Blue Hawaii phase as a perfectly topical, tropical setting for their secondary line s spring season. It let them work in fashion s current crush on the fifties, loads of loud South Sea prints, and jeans—alongside the usual girly sexy dresses and boyish pantsuits.
The D&G girls came out with ratted bouffants and an assortment of Hawaiian-print jersey dresses and T-shirts photo-printed with Elvis, over raffia skirts or provocative swimwear. Their "boyfriends" swaggered alongside, sporting quiffs, lean suits, and winkle pickers. It was a smart device for bringing all the main line s signatures to a younger market—and lots of fun in the bargain.
