Dolce & Gabbana Spring/Summer 2007

Combining futurism with sex-appeal, Dolce & Gabbana's Spring collection is a commentary on roles in society and their evolution.

The use of plastic and synthetic materials show the human's natural quest for perfection. The pieces themselves are not robotic, it is how the person must wear them in order to achieve the desired effect: confidence. D&G is playing with perception here.

Also, there is heavy use of the extreme. The line begins with skin-tight, plastic material leaving nothing to the imagination and ends with a flourish of metallic, swaths of yellow fabric, and the after taste of an egg in a frying pan.

The line maintains a masculine femininity (heavy on the sex-appeal), which brings up the topic of gender roles. The females are pictured in plastic or black leather corsets, and flouncy, receding hemlines. Is this a symbol of feminine power and endurance? Or the man's subliminal control over her? The corset represents the 1800's which represents female submission which represents male dominance. Male dominance equals the corset, but currently the corset symbolizes s&m (judging by the type of corsets pictured). S&M involves power play which can be traced back to unconventional gain in that direction. So, does the corset equal the female's future power in society, or lack thereof? I suppose the question has to be taken in the context of D&G's influences. Which are surprisingly enough, easy to decipher.

Stanley Kubrick's 2001 A Space Odyssey is clearly the inspiration. Beginning the men's fashion show, the famous monolith scene is reenacted through lighting and music. Also, the new ad campaigns include a plastic child within a glass box, surrounded by models. This is a nod to enlightenment pictured in the movie. Keep in mind, I have not seen it since I was ten so I seem to have forgotten many key parts. I do remember the lead (being male) defeated the robot space ship (signifying the female within this collection because of the aforementioned reasons). To me, it is clear. Females will loose their status and gain controlled freedom.

Dolce & Gabbana have taken a trend to the extreme with noticeable, applaudible panache.