There is always the first time for everything. Therefore, it is officially the first time on this blog that I will be dedicating an entire post to men's fashion. My spontaneous decision to do that is caused by the today's show of Dolce & Gabbana's Fall and Winter collection 2016/17 inspired by the Old Wild Sicilian West. The Italian duo of the designers did not just follow the easy path of sentiment for cult Spaghetti Westerns and Ennio Morricone's soundtracks, as lately has repeatedly been done more or less successfully, as tastes cannot be disputed, by Quentin Tarantino. Domenico and Stefano designed a fashion love letter to their beloved Sicily, with modern Italian cowboys as main protagonists.
Somehow this collection stroke a chord with me, because as a little girl my favorite fun time with my dad was watching westerns religiously shown almost every Saturday on the Polish TV. My mom could never understand our special bond when it came to the topic of the wild west, evil and good, godforsaken saloons, women faithfully waiting for their cowboy heroes to return home, mysterious Native Americans and the magnetism of the "rugged look" of the dangerous outlaws. It was a fascination that I only shared with my dad.
OH, COWBOY! - Inspiration for Men's Fashion 2016/17 FALL WINTER
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The winter collection of D&G screams with symbolism characteristic of Sicily: sheepskin pants, thick wool capes, fur coats, lavish ornaments, embroidery and jewelry (finally, brooches are also men's item, and I don't mean simple pins!). The rustic western look was paired with contradicting luxurious loafers, printed pajamas worn under double-breasted coats, Capri messenger's pants, graphic sweatshirts, jackets which look like the romantic combination of big biker's bombers and traditional cowboy's jacket.
I was in awe of slim, elegant clothes with heavy embroidery in forms of pistols, sacred hearts, and roses paired with fabulous brooches strategically placed on the lapels. Those jackets reminded me when my real appreciation of high fashion for men had begun. The Summer when I turned 16, I was waiting for the results of my annual exam at the music school with my best friend. We were sitting outside the beautiful red-brick pre-war building where the school was located. Suddenly, two boys came by, and one of them was a friend of my friend from the primary school. However, immediately I only had eyes for the other guy. Funnily, it was not only for his good looks but for the way he was dressed. In the times of long fascination of grunge, punk, oversized sweaters with holes, super dirty jeans and anarchist t-shirts, this boy was standing there in the summer sun wearing perfectly cut light gray wool jacket of the highest quality and some amazing jeans. I was so under his style's spell that I asked him: "Where did you get this jacket?" He smiled and responded: "It's from my father and I think it's Yves Saint Laurent!" and he shamelessly showed me the label on the inside pocket of the jacket, which did not even disgust me but opened the door to the unknown level of the fashion paradise. That particular moment of the June afternoon, first I fell in love with haute couture and then the model sporting the magic jacket in question. My fascination with nuances of men's style has continued since then.
I have admired what Dolce & Gabbana's designers have been doing for years. As the fashion crowd says you can either love them devotedly or despise them with all your heart but you can never say what they do is boring. This collection makes me jealous of any men who would be wearing those jackets and coats, and I wish I could secretly borrow some of them from time to time.
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| Old Sicilian West - Dolce &Gabbana Fall-Winter 2016/17 |
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| Old Sicilian West - Dolce &Gabbana Fall-Winter 2016/17 |
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| Old Sicilian West - Dolce &Gabbana Fall-Winter 2016/17 |
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| Old Sicilian West - Dolce &Gabbana Fall-Winter 2016/17 |
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| Old Sicilian West - Dolce &Gabbana Fall-Winter 2016/17 |
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