But what does masculinity mean to Dolce and Gabbana? “Personality, charisma, positive values—those have always been the pillars of our fashion,” they wrote. “The first look, if one can call it that, is an example of pure fin de siècle Dolcegabbanism: white briefs and tank top and a gold chain around the neck, nothing else. It’s not a remake, but exactly those that came out on the catwalk in 1990.”
Courtesy of Dolce & Gabbana
These Re-edition pieces, taken straight out of past collections, will come with a special label that identifies the season from which the garments originally appeared. But they only made up part of the runway show: other highlights included ripped jeans, reconstructed into patchwork fabrics; clusters of rings on multiple fingers; and jeweled rosaries hanging on shiny chests left uncovered or visible through embroidered and semi-transparent shirts. Formalwear included lots of white and lots of black, and oversized suits in cotton gauze or crumpled technical fabrics that look undeniably cool, no matter what generation you’re from.
“Young people appreciate the beauty of formal dress in ways they didn’t before,” the designers wrote. “We see this by casting, working at fashion shows and, simply, by observing the young people who work with us. The jacket will always embody our idea of elegance, it’s our icon, but we still believe that elegance is first and foremost an attitude.”
Courtesy of Dolce & Gabbana
During the press conference, Gabbana said that, “Until Beckham, men’s fashion was perceived as being for homosexuals or insiders, and now, thanks to him, it has become for everyone.” He was perhaps exaggerating, but it would be hard to exaggerate the impact of athletes, Beckham chief among them, on the world of menswear..
But looking back to collections past was, ultimately, not an exercise in nostalgia for Dolce and Gabbana. Looking back on the things they have done, they are frank in their appraisal. “We realized we were good,” they wrote. “We also did a lot that was shit, but some things were really good.”
This story was originally published by GQ Italia with the headline, “Sognando Beckham.”
