Let's start with the ending, since it was so great: a stage full of sparkly, colorful, drop-dead Hollywood gowns, the likes of which most designers in Italy have neglected to mention this season. Beyoncé Knowles, in the front row of Dolce & Gabbana's Spring show, hyperventilated at the sight of Naomi Campbell swinging around in a mini showgirl number done entirely in spangled strands. "Oh, I'd like the occasion to wear that!" she exclaimed afterward.
The rest of the going was just as good, a lighthearted tiptoe through a myriad of fifties- and sixties-era summertime references. Lilly Pulitzer-meets-Pucciesque period prints (with a bit of pop art thrown in) came jumbled up in a melee of little suits, lace coats, and gorgeous georgette beaded cardigans. But don't expect ladylike from the D&G boys. Their girls can't live without the opportunity to show some leg (preferably smothered in printed tights), and when they get into those curvy, lacy dresses, it's safe to assume their flowery underwear will find a way to flash out somehow.
Still, this is a lightened-up collection in one sense. Gone were the aggressive, punkish, oversexed elements Dolce & Gabbana often throws into a show. (Even the signature black corsetry has been retired for the summer, turning up only as a token in crystal bands on pink.) They weren't missed. What's left is a slew of delicious separates that fit perfectly into the realm of pretty individualism everyone will be aiming for next summer.
