Monday, March 02, 2015

Mother's Day Came Early at Dolce & Gabbana's Fall Show

Mother's Day Came Early at Dolce & Gabbana's Fall Show:

A very pregnant Bianca Balti walks the runway at Dolce & Gabbana. Photo: Pietro D'Aprano/Getty Images
A very pregnant Bianca Balti walks the runway at Dolce & Gabbana. Photo: Pietro D'Aprano/Getty Images
Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana celebrated Sicilian grandmothers in their memorable spring 2015 ad campaign, and the designers continued this theme of all things familial for fall with a collection that was simply titled: “Viva la Mama.” To honor the woman who’s the heart of the family, Dolce and Gabbana went for an all-out, rose-colored lovefest that had the crowd cheering in their seats — and this editor tearing up a bit.

A curtain drew open to reveal 11 model mothers with their own children on a stage at the end of the runway, many of whom took a turn walking down together; those with infants and toddlers held them for the entire length of the 89-look show, which is a pretty impressive feat. Bianca Balti — the perennial D&G muse who is very pregnant with her second child — came down the runway to roaring applause. (Even Karlie Kloss, who's a pro at that smoldering model stare, couldn't help but giggle as she turned her back to the cameras after catching the eye of a particularly cute baby behind her.) The soundtrack consisted of a classic Italian pop song by Edoardo Bennato, also called "Viva la Mama," whose lyrics doubled as the show notes, and “Mama” by the Spice Girls, which personally made me giddy with nostalgia.

As for the clothes, the designers might have taken the theme a bit too literally at times. Childrens' doodles served as the primary pattern throughout the collection — they were printed on silk and embroidered in sequins — making otherwise pretty pieces look, well, juvenile. They went heavy with the rose motif as well, which worked in some cases and seemed excessive in others, like when a rather large one was splashed smack in the center of a white lace minidress. But other pieces, like the Italian lace dresses, simple furs and tailored outerwear, were beautiful enough to be turned into family heirlooms, passed down from mother to daughter for generations.

I'm not sure if I should chalk this up to peak Fashion Month exhaustion or the fact that I haven't seen my loved ones in a couple of weeks, but I'll be real with you: Seeing the joy on the mothers' (and models') faces as they came down the runway had me a little emotional. The show was a beautiful celebration of family (and of women) and it felt honest in its sentiment that every day should be Mother's Day. I love you, Mom!

See the full collection below.

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