Italian fashion house brings out jungle theme on ramp

Milan: With lush greenery for a backdrop, Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana took fashionistas on a jungle trek at its catwalk show on Sunday, presenting a spring wardrobe inspired by colourful tropical fauna and flora.

Designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana kicked off their Spring/Summer 2020 womenswear line with safari looks - beige and khaki belted shirts, cargo trousers, dresses and shorts, sometimes worn with leopard print bikini or corset tops.

To a thumping musical beat, models then strutted in fitted over-the-knee dresses and skirts adorned with a giraffe, zebra or parrot on the leopard-print catwalk.

There was an array of fitted black dresses - the brand’s staple that peppered the more than 120-looks runway show. They came short, corseted, slit at the front, see-through and lace. Models also wore black bra tops and skirt suits.

The designers put zebra, giraffe, leopard and tiger prints on short or long dresses, pencil skirts, bustier tops, jackets, coats and tights while colourful parrots and pelicans adorned silky shirts and skirts. Snakeskin prints appeared on bright short skirts. Models sashayed in long chiffon gowns filled with mixed animal, jungle and floral prints as well as in shorter frocks.

Adding more colour were outfits adorned in fruit prints - pineapples on bikini tops and dresses, and watermelon or mixed fruits summer shirts. These were sometimes mixed with polka dots in bright hues.

Tropical flowers and leaves decorated dresses, skirts tied at the waist like sarongs and hotpants. There were also leaf-print trouser suits and coats - a jungle theme seen elsewhere during Milan Fashion Week.

In softer tones, the designers presented cream and gold skirts, bustier tops and dresses in macramé and raffia. A selection of trouser suits were shiny and mid-calf length.

Models wore tropical flowers or knotted scarves in their hair while footwear came in all types, sometimes with animal prints. Some sandals had leaf straps. Sunglasses were doubled - one pair quirkily sitting on top of another.

Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele explored the idea of “subjectification” for his collection, using bright lights and moving walkways in his runway presentation.