The show paid tribute to Dolce & Gabbana’s origins, reinterpreted through precise execution, a refined focus on the body, and laces—lots of them.
After flirting with pajama dressing and off-duty chic, Dolce & Gabbana is returning to its original roots. For Fall/Winter 2026, the Italian luxury house is pivoting the focus toward the visual codes that established its identity for four decades: Italian sensuality, Sicilian heritage, and bold maximalism.
The collection, titled “Identity,” is not about nostalgia—“It is presence,” said house founders Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. It draws from a “language built on roots that are still alive. Sicily as emotion, black as strength, lace as intimacy, tailoring as authority.”
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It debuted at Milan Fashion Week, with a show that paid tribute to Dolce & Gabbana’s origins, reinterpreted through precise execution and a refined focus on the body—ways that both felt fresh and modern.
And although the collection is dedicated to womenswear, it presented “a vision where femininity and masculinity are in constant dialogue, where the body is not hidden but affirmed,” the designers added.
This story of “remaining true to yourself” was carried throughout the collection that showcases the house’s signature tailoring, which combines softness with defined structure. Dolce reimagined archival pieces with complexity and sculptural intention, referencing images of top models Marpessa Hennink and Isabella Rossellini in Sicilian men’s suiting during the house’s early years.
It was channeled through the hourglass blazers and coats that were similar to traditional menswear but reinvented with a cinched waist and broad shoulders for the contemporary woman. The back of one blazer mirrors the front, echoing lapels and buttons for full-body symmetry. Another had buttons that trace the spine, making the rear view a direct extension of the front. These garments set the tone for the 75-look collection, where tailoring is used as a tool for command, clarity, and sensuality.
Dolce & Gabbana draped the collection in black, shaping bodies and catching every ray of light.
For the designers, the color carries deep Sicilian symbolism, long associated with mourning traditions, tragic heroines, and deep spirituality. It dominated not only double-breasted jackets and trench coats, but also pinstriped suits that came with a twist, such as stripes that wrap seamlessly from front to back.
The runway abounded with lace. It showed up prominently in long-sleeved mini dresses, mid-calf skirts with soft hems, as well as translucent tops and bralettes layered over silk organza. Each piece revealed skin in ways that are sensual yet disciplined, precise, and controlled.
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The collection embodied contemporary confidence in the other looks: baggy jeans paired with bra tops, collars that extended sharply off the shoulders; shirts that were worn inside out; high-waisted, figure-contouring cycling shorts; and sheer skirts. All these make for an edit that is simultaneously light and edgy, feminine yet commanding—reflecting the essence of Dolce & Gabbana across time.
Watch the Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2026 show below:
