January 16, 2006

Forza Dolce. The program notes touted the Dolce & Gabbana style as being the dominant global aesthetic for menswear, and the fact that they now have their own theater in which to present their shows lends an added grandiosity to their presentations. So New Power—the name that Domenico and Stefano gave their latest collection—was, in their eyes, not a boast, but a simple acknowledgment of the strength and confidence that such huge success can bestow. To their credit, though, the boys didn't coast. Those signature low-slung, butt-cupping trousers arrived with four deep-stitched pleats, which created a new volume. And the broad-shouldered, nipped-waist jackets that are equally characteristic of the Dolce & Gabbana man were less structured.

Even more surprisingly, there was a properness to this collection that was positively Mittel Europa. It was seductively present in a handful of velvet suits (heathery purple, silvery gray, olive-green, brick-red, and blue), but it also showed up in vintage-looking, side-buckled leather jackets. The brocaded military jackets in the finale had a distinct Austro-Hungarian edge. And the tails shown with white shirts and black velvet scarves tied high round the neck were a vision of scrupulous Georgian elegance.

— Tim Blanks