The burghers of Milan Fashion week thought nobody could match the star power of Pilaf, Demi Moore’s chihuahua, at Gucci. Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg gave it his best go at Prada. K-Pop phenomenon Bang Chan tried at Fendi.
Only Madonna’s turn on the front row at Dolce & Gabbana’s show on Saturday afternoon came close. The Material Girl entered with a full entourage in tow, wearing a black lace babydoll dress and turquoise gloves designed by the brand, before taking her seat beside Anna Wintour, the global editorial director of Vogue. All to the tune of her own 1994 hit Take a Bow.
Fashion week may be the platform for new ideas, but few brands celebrate their legacy – and their long-term collaborators – quite as ferociously as Dolce & Gabbana.
Madonna, 67, first wore their creations during her 1993 Girlie Show tour and appeared in an ad campaign in 2010. In September 2024, designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana even dedicated their 2025 fashion week show to her.
This, therefore, was a return to form – and the familiar. The design duo, who marked the 40th anniversary of their brand in 2025, doubled down on their signatures, including sharp tailoring and underwear as outerwear. There were also multiple boxy pinstripe suits – a nod to Madonna’s 1990s wardrobe designed by Jean Paul Gaultier. After the show, the designers took their applause before stealing their Queen of Pop away backstage.
Models in Dolce & Gabbana’s underwear as outerwear on the catwalk in Milan
The brand received heated criticism for the lack of diversity in the casting of its menswear show in January, but the 62-model lineup in the womenswear show embraced a more diverse cast of models.
The celebration of signatures that have proved commercially successful for the brand was in sharp contrast to the debut of Demna Gvasalia at Gucci the day before.
Kering-owned Gucci is banking on its new-era designer capturing the zeitgeist that it most recently enjoyed under the creative direction of Alessandro Michele.
Former Balenciaga creative director Gvasalia, who is known for his subversive approach to luxury codes and polish, delivered a highly sexualised collection that marked a strong departure from his predecessor Sabato De Sarno and divided critics.
Earlier in the week, former Dior creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri made her debut at Fendi, presenting an evolved version of her signatures that sent LVMH-owned Dior to annual sales to €9.5bn euros in 2023.
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With the industry in turmoil over evolving consumer behaviour, the diversification of supply chains, and the near constant changing of creative directors at the world’s largest fashion houses, having a strong identity is proving crucial to big brands.
Dolce & Gabbana is clearly banking on its codes.
Photographs by Miguel MEDINA / AFP via Getty Images