The inspiration of the Dolce & Gabbana Spring 2021 Menswear collection is Parco dei Principi, the iconic hotel in Sorrento designed by Gio Ponti, Italy’s famous 20th century architect. 

Silhouettes of azure. Layers of indigo. A sweep of lapis. A swirl of cobalt. And swathes of pristine white. Elements inspired by the blues of the sea.  Clouds of lightweight white fabrics. Memories of an unforgettable holiday in Sorrento, where deep aquamarine waters come rushing forth to hug the cliffs of South Italy. 

The underlying theme pays homage to creativity, Italian design and summer blues creating a seductive palette of a turquoise tinted premise. Sublime in every way. 

 

However, the Spring-Summer 2021 Men’s Fashion Show by Dolce & Gabbana was certainly not the same. 

This year, the usual venue, Metropole Theater was not well suited for the purpose of showcasing to an audience in confines, due to the overarching backdrop of COVID-19. Hence, the unveiling took place away from Milan and in the lush campus of Humanitas University, where Dolce & Gabbana has been funding medical scholarships since 2019.

In the midst of the otherwise digital showcases during this time in the fashion world and one with Milan Digital Fashion Week 2020, this was a fashion show where guests were seen attending in masks, with social distancing very much the order of the day. The models too, consciously maintaining their distances as they struck poses on the open air runway. Certainly not the usual atmosphere where creativity and high end fashion tend to draw out a multitude of emotions. And much air kissing!

As iterated by the hashtag #DGParcoDeiPrincipi, the inspiration of the Dolce & Gabbana Spring 2021 Menswear collection is Parco dei Principi, the iconic hotel in Sorrento designed by Gio Ponti, Italy’s famous 20th century architect. Perched atop a cliff overlooking the turquoise waters, this hotel is a 1960’s architectural marvel. Tiles, walls, and upholstery in this uber luxe resort are all awash in shades of blue, their geometric patterns making a clear style statement as well as presenting a visual appeal.

The collection itself is an attempt to whisk one away on a seaside holiday. On a pristine palette of white, there were flowing white tunics piped with patterned blues, billowy pants, tile-patterned pyjama tops and cornflower blue, sharp cut shirts. In a way, this was a welcome relief in the day and age of web links and online going-ons of the fashion world, robbing it of its thunder, in a way.  

Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce’s homage to their native Italy in the form of this new socially distanced fashion show was very much in their signature style of doing things differently. 

And, as the designer duo made their final appearance on the ramp in masks at the end of the show, one couldn’t help being teleported along on an idyllic sojourn in Sorrento. 

A welcome relief in COVID times, where travel plans are on hold and a much needed holiday in the Bay of Naples may be just what one needed.