Almost austere, black, and inspired by the great icons of Italy’s neorealist cinema: this is the brassiere which Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have been dressing women with for years. Guided by the voice of Isabella Rossellini, we discover the birth of this garment – which manages to be at the same time both temperate and erotic, a symbol of motherhood and sensuality. French fashion historian Florence Müller tells of the brassiere’s first century of life, while the Sicilian writer Nadia Terranova shares her own memories of this object, from rites of passage to moments of family life.
The color black has many meanings, often at odds with one another. It’s the color which Sicilian women used to wear for years in sign of mourning, but it’s also synonymous with elegance. It’s a symbol of power and modesty. You should always have something black hanging in your wardrobe, and it’s also worn by the fashion makers themselves.In this episode Isabella Rossellini guides us on our way to discover one of the iconic colors of Dolce&Gabbana, weaving together ancient stories and traditions. With contributions from the Academy Award winning director Giuseppe Tornatore, from the English journalist Suzy Menkes, and the American historian Carmela Spinelli.
The tank top is a simple garment, an everyday one, and it is also molto italiano. This popular object has been reworked and transformed by the world of film. Guido Bonsaver, professor at the University of Oxford, and Rebecca Bauman, associate professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology, tell Isabella Rossellini of the first tank tops in film from the forties and fifties. As well as the significance of this garment (as soon as the most beloved actors of the time put it on), and of its evolution towards the world of action movie heroines. Director Giuseppe Tornatore shares with us the images that the tank top elicits in him, while journalist Suzy Menkes talks about the purely Italian style of Dolce&Gabbana.
It’s reductive to consider Sicilian carts as mere vehicles. These carts are so rich in color and decorations that, according to Marianna Gatto of the Italian American Museum in Los Angeles, they’re best described as “walking books”. For the painter from Palermo, Gianfranco Fiore (who decorates these carts), they represent the most popular, creative and imaginative soul of the Sicilian people. Isabella Rossellini speaks with Gatto and Fiore of history, traditions and memories. She also talks with the German photographer Juergen Teller. In this episode we discover how the Dolce&Gabbana brand managed to inject new life in the cart and to bring it over to the fields of fashion, design and furnishing, where it has become a symbol of high quality Italian artisanship.
In fashion as in cinema, the flat cap has now become one of the symbols of Sicily. Yet, this cap isn’t even originally Italian - it’s British instead. Guido Bonsaver, professor at Oxford, and Rebecca Bauman, associate professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, discuss the history and representations of the flat cap, starting from the 16th century and reaching up to contemporary television series. The Academy Award winning director Giuseppe Tornatore takes us back to his Sicilian roots and finds there itinerant hat sellers, peasants and aristocrats. Then he explains that for him, as for Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, tradition is always an inspiration, never a constraint.
The link between fashion and religion is much closer than one might imagine. Indeed, fashion has always drawn inspiration from sacred iconography and cult objects as underlined by Fiona Dieffenbacher, associate professor at the Parsons School of Design in New York. Carol Woolton, jewelry historian, speaks about the history of symbols, focusing on their meanings beyond religion on culture, spirituality and the desire for self-expression. Monsignor Alberto Rocca, director of the Veneranda Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, explains what a symbol is and why Dolce&Gabbana's use of crosses, rosaries and sacred hearts is a sign of homage and devotion.
Jacket, waistcoat and trousers: these are the three pieces that make up the suit. Isabella Rossellini guides us to discover its history and its dual nature, because, today, it is worn by both men and women. Guido Bonsaver, a professor at the University of Oxford, tells how this look was born, how it conquered Sicily and how it arrived on the big screen. The fashion historian Florence Müller, on the other hand, talks about the transition from men's to women's clothing, and focuses on women's independence and affirmation. Giulio Mauri, a tailor for Dolce&Gabbana for twenty years, reveals the behind the scenes of his work.
Lace covers and uncovers, is delicate and sensual. Its creation requires so much time, patience and skill that it was once considered a jewel or a treasure. The fashion historian Florence Müller talks about all of this, while the Sicilian writer Nadia Terranova takes us with her memories into a familiar and feminine dimension. Then Pinuccia, première of Dolce&Gabbana Alta Moda, reveals how this precious material is used in clothes and collections of all kinds. This episode also features the English journalist Suzy Menkes and Franco Cologni, who has dedicated a good part of his life to promote craftsmanship.