Little Missy's Guide to 
Italian Fashion and The Age of Excess

Venetian Style

In the 14th century, there were as many styles in the country we now call Italy as there were city-states.  It's hard to believe that at this time, the land we now call Italy was the economic capital of the western world, and Venice was its first city-state.  Florence soon became known as a centre for fashion and fashion innovation.  This was later usurped by the French.  Louis XIV and his Hall of Mirrors, the central gallery in the palace of Versailles may be a quintessential Gallic triumph, but the reality was the Italians were the  innovators of mirror technology and the French had to resort to kidnap and extortion to obtain Italian trade secrets and artisans.  For what is fashion without a mirror?  The Italians understood this first, but were slow to understand that fashion could become a lucrative, seasonal industry.  The French were the first to patent the luxury market and until recent times, (in which those pesky Millenials do not appear interested in the latest Louis Vuitton bag), cornered the market.  This is not to say that Italians did not have the best leather accessories and men's woolen fabrics for suits.  Let us not forget Mariano Fortuny and the great Elsa Schiaperelli who reigned years before what we now call Modern Italian fashion.

Capri pants, flats and a chic sweater from 1965

After World War II, the Italian government provided incentives for companies to create and export Italian fashion based on Italy's heritage of culture and art.  It was naturally first based in Florence, but the Roman aristocrats, called la dolce vita, took over and Rome became Italy's fashion centre.

Throwing in a Ferrari and the Coliseum didn't hurt.

The Italians were known for that happy look called "resort wear", swim suits, sandals, scarves, sunglasses and of course Capri pants.  The American bourgeoisie ate it up, la dolce vita on their yachts cruising around the Mediterranean, through movies such as The Barefoot Contessa with Ava Gardner.  Then, Italy got their own bona fide movie stars, Gina Lollobrigada and the ever enduring Sophia Loren.

Sophia Loren in her day

Sophia Loren recently at the Dolce&Gabbana Alta Moda show

Which brings us to today.  Yes, Little Missy has skipped over a lot of Italian fashion industry history, some of which might horrify you, dear readers. We are going straight to Dolce&Gabanna's  four year biannual Alta Moda phenomenon, which occurred this year in Naples,  always just a couple weeks after Haute Couture Week closes in Paris. Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have been in business for 31 years.  That's 31 years of Little Missy not buying their clothes because they have never fit my non-Mediterranean tall, long waisted frame, nor my taste which is decidedly more Gallic. Now I suppose I could buy their Alta Moda which would be made to measure, but somehow I don't think this is the Little Missy Style:

One of these dresses is Dolce&Gabbana and one of them is not
Update--Little Missy stands corrected.  The one on the left is Andrew Gn and the one on the right is Gucci. Oh well...you get the idea!

As much as I do not care for Alta Moda, at least if you are going to do the look, wear the designer!  But as the Italians are the past masters of the fashion rip off themselves, I doubt they would care who is ripping them off.  Do the Italians still hold a grudge over the Louis XIV mirror caper? Doubtful.  Fashion wise at least, they are a sunny place for shady characters. Let's review a little Dolce and Gabbana history!

2007 Dolce&Gabbana advertisement

This horrific ad appeared just nine years ago.  It certainly looks like gang rape to me.  These are the designers who managed to avoid going to jail for 18 months on multi-year criminal tax evasions.  Several courts found them guilty and sought heftier three year prison terms but our boys had the media on their side and managed to avoid charges, becoming billionaires in the process.  And that did not stop our boys Domenico and Stefano from mouthing off that they believed in a "classical" family, saying "no [to] chemical children and [a] rented uterus", further claiming that children need "a mother and a father".  That's when they lost the respect of some of their supporters.  Having said that, Little Missy, never a supporter, was not surprised.    Domenico and Stefano would say the grass is blue and the sky is green if it brought their wealthy international flock to their Alta Moda dog and pony shows.  It takes a lot for Little Missy to speak like this but I must speak:
Dolce and Gabbana are douche bags.
Finally, a picture speaks a thousand words.  You can walk by the Dolce&Gabbana store in your city if you are cursed to have one, or just have a look at Little Missy's curated images!

Do you want to look like that?  Do you think it's elegant? Do you think that for one moment this pair ever said , "The most beautiful clothes that can dress a woman are the arms of the man she loves.  But for those who haven't had the fortune of finding this happiness I am here". Of course not. Those are the words of the immortal Yves Saint Laurent. 

Dolce&Gabbana are part of the detritus inflicting our sphere at the moment. If they go away tomorrow it won't be too soon for Little Missy.