When he was a boy, Stefano Gabbana's vision of fashion nirvana was Fiorucci, so you can imagine how he felt to be parading D&G's re-edition of the brand's T-shirts down the catwalk in front of Elio Fiorucci himself. Dolce and Gabbana took their cue from the rampant cowgirl in one of Fiorucci's most iconic images. The catwalk was appropriately sunbaked, the soundtrack was C&W, and the models were rodeo-ready in chambray shirts, faded denims, and cowboy boots (some with spurs). Then the designers pushed the theme a little. The Jeans got studded, the studs got leathered, and the D&G DNA kicked in with razor-sharp tailoring, like a shawl-collared jacket in pinstripes, or a three-piece gabardine number. Piped hems and leather appliqué juiced up old favorites (the peak-lapel jacket, the jean shirt) and plaid shirts were deceptively, appealingly gauzy. The only jarring note was a denim britches moment. The duo's by-now-rote evening finale featured possum-soft brown, rust, and aubergine velvet jackets with jeans. If only Brokeback Mountain's Ennis del Mar had met Domenico and Stefano before his life went horribly wrong 20/07/09
