March 20, 2012 |
FROM THE VAULT (WINTER / SPRING 2012)
Many fabrics were covered in holes. Perforations, to use the correct term. That’s what the boys would call them. Perfect, uniform holes. Arranged in rows. Think stamps. Easy to tear, too. They were cut into leather, cotton and silky, mesh-like fabrics. You could almost say they resembled nets. Well, there were three main net inspirations behind this: Sicilian fisherman, AC Milan and the internet. We’ll explain this thus. The first is obviously a reference to the boys’ heritage. On half of them hails from Sicily, grew up on the shore with fishermen, and they always reference the island in their women’s collections; this time, it’s the men’s. Fishermen’s nets, when cast, give off a shimmery effect, which was re-created here by layering net over net. The sheerness of the fabric also allowed for a provocative peek of bare, tanned skin beneath. This is sheer for men. And should you happen to be a fisherman and your net breaks, you could use this in its place. The AC Milan reference comes from the fact that Stefano and Domenico have been dressing the team since, um, we don’t know, but it’s been a long time now. Earlier this year they released a book of photographs of the team members. How do you refer to your team in a subtle way? A way that doesn’t involve nylon shorts and red and black stripes? Net. Hints at goal net. Also, as with the fisherman scenario, should your net snap, you can use an item of net wear as a substitute. The last reference, the worldwide web, is one net that they have wholeheartedly embraced. They tweet, they live stream, they have their own online magazine called Swide (which, on the basis of its name alone, you want to read) and they invite their fans to partake in all their online shenanigans. We’re going out on a limb here, but the net, or at least the strands of fabric forming the net, are representative of their online community. A group of people united in their love of Dolce & Gabbana. Unfortunately, should the internet collapse, it’s impossible to use one of their tops as a temporary back-up. But, suffice to say, we’ve always loved a hole and we’re not ones to discriminate on the basis of size. We welcome them all with open arms. Especially when they come in the shape of a garment.
by Natalie Dembinska
Photographer Jason Lloyd-Evans
