Stars, as old as the universe but always on trend

The Dolce&Gabbana FW11 collection was based on the contrast between masculine and feminine. Role-playing, fabric swapping and silhouette challenging designs dominated the catwalk. To concretise the distinction between the masculine and the feminine, the duo decided to hang their perceptions on a print, an icon, a symbol as old as the world itself- the star.

Stars have captured the imagination of man from the beginnings. These celestial bodies have been a source of fascination for our species for almost as long as the homo erectus stood up on his back legs and looked up at the night’s sky.

Stars have been studied and worshipped by many civilizations. Babylonians charted the sky, the ancient Greeks named them after their Gods, while in the Christian tradition, a star signalled the birth of Jesus.

Stars have fallen, as if by magic onto the masterfully crafted clothes

The Sun, the biggest and closest star to our planet, has also been at the centre of revolutionary debates on the creation, context and shape of the universe, as well as being the fuel for life on Earth. These twinkling, romantic yet extremely complex and powerful bodies fascinated great minds such as Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein.

Marilyn Monroe, a timeless star and fashion icon

Stars have guided travellers home after long trips or towards wonders of the unknown, and much in the same way, in contemporary society, stars have guided trend setters, creative minds from the world of art, music, literature, film and fashion.

Stars, as everything natural, a motif of the art nuoveau

Stars have penetrated our invention and imagination, from semantics to science fiction. By definition, a star is a person that shines brightly in their field. Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, bright stars themselves of the fashion set, have contemplated this simple yet highly charged symbol in their FW11 collection.

 The animal trainer from the vintage circus tent is a star in a masculine guise

The masculine feminine game played out as the main theme in the FW11 collection. The fashion show juxtaposed the feminine and the masculine though texture, silhouette, fabrics, prints and embellishments. A pillar of the collection was the image of the woman as a star, one that through her beauty, confidence and aura lights up a room when she walks in. For Dolce&Gabbana, every woman deserves to be worshipped and recognised as a stellar creation, something delicate, fascinating yet strong.

 Chiffon as ephemeral as the nebula

Today stars are again at the forefront of people’s minds, but from a symbolic viewpoint. Stars have donned the flags of many countries, famously the United States and the European Union. Concerning the latter, will we continue seeing those golden symbols on a cerulean background for long? Will these stars, representing countries steeped in history and culture fade one by one into the black hole of political and economic turmoil?

 Charting stars and accessories

We should all look up at the sky and make a wish, upon a star…

Written by: Valentina Zannoni

Credits: Dolce&Gabbana

Source: Swide