MFW FAVOURITE: Dolce & Gabbana

I'm not normally as taken with Milan Fashion Week as i am with the other fashion weeks, but this AW13 it has had some insanely good collections walked down the runway. My favourite for Milan has got to be Dolce & Gabbana. As i'm really interested in print design, and designed a collection of the prints based around Italian Renaissance, the prints at Dolce & Gabbana really stood out to me.
When i first looked at the collection, without reading any interviews or reviews, it was obvious that the collection was inspired by Italian renaissance with the heavy religious, mosaic-like imagery and heavy gold cross jewellery and crowns. But then, throughout the collection, heavy British wool fabrics and cuts started creeping through... which baffled me a little bit but somehow it worked?

""This collection is very Brit," Stefano Gabbana said before the show began, leading me through a labyrinth of backlit mirrors where scores of models were being made up to look like Sophia Loren in her heyday, towards rails of lush tweeds and delicate lace." - Telegraph fashion (see the full article here)

The makeup, inspired by Sophia Loren, wasn't the only Italian reference that seems to be a part of the 'brit-inspired' collection, as the inspiration for the italian renaissance style prints inspired by the Monreale cathedral, just outside Palermo.

 I love the british wools mixed in with the luxurious religious prints, lace and heavy gold jewellery. The red garments at the end of the collection really adds the wow factor to the collection.  The lighter fabric garments, like the lace, compared to the heavy knits and tailoring make a really great contrast. The silhouettes have been elongated through tailored garments that are high waisted to create a sleek, elongated, elegant silhouette. The hints of gold coming from the heavy jewellery add italian charm to the otherwise british inspired collection.