MILAN, Italy — Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana entitled their collection Tropico Italiano, but it had only to do with the feisty set-up, complete with palm trees and coconut vendors, not with the clothes. After all, the two designers have already found their own tropic, a while ago: Sicily, and in general the south of Italy, with its joyous spirit, burgeoning sensuality and endless melange of everything opulent, excessive and baroque.
The collection was a reiteration of the formula, probably even more feisty. From "bersagliere" jackets to womanly dresses, from lingerie styles to jeans to rainbow sequins, there was a lot going on here, probably even too much. A bit of editing would be of great help. Then again, restraint is not a Sicilian quality — as a Sicilian, this writer can testify. Too much is never enough, anyone? The two have certainly no shortage of decorative ideas.