model Bianca Balti and film actress Monica Bellucci in Dolce and Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana continues to illustrate to us The Italian way of life, or La Dolce Vita in their on-going campaigns, runway collections, and even in their brand ambassadors. Quite a change from their controversial ‘gang-bang’ ads that took a lot of criticism back in their Spring/Summer 2007 campaigns.
These days, their campaigns portray large family gatherings, togetherness, and generations of women wearing Dolce- including their latest campaign amply hashtag’d #DGMAMA. Italian Brand ambassadors- who are also mom’s in their own right- include the stunning model Bianca Balti and film actress Monica Bellucci- who is scheduled to be the bond girl in the new Spectre James Bond film coming out November 6th. Balti, 31, became a new mom this year and was able to celebrate with Dolce and Gabbana in a unique way. Their Fall 2015 runway show in Milan back in March was a tribute to the “Mamma”, featuring eleven mothers on the runway, three of whom walked with their own children. Balti was six months pregnant and proudly strutted the runway like a true professional with a bun in the oven.
Their collections not only speak to us in an Italian way, they continue to incorporate that romantic Italian beautiful lace in their collections and we love it. Recently, Dolce & Gabbana recreated that paradise in their summer campaign. British model David Gandy and Bianca model for a variation of their signature Light Blue fragrance. Balti beautifully represented the women’s fragrance, titled “Sunset in Salina”, while Gandy personified the “Swimming in Lipari” men’s counterpart scent, both available in department beauty sections of Macy’s and Ulta.
For this Light Blue fragrance and affiliate campaign, Dolce & Gabbana found inspiration from their home country of Italy. Salina and Lipari are two of the popular Aeolian Islands, a volcanic archipelago located north of Sicily in the Tyyrhenian Sea. Lipari, the name of the male scent, is the largest island of the group, while Salina, the name of the female scent, is the second largest. Despite the twisted gender irony, the romanticism of both Mediterranean destinations contributed to the designers’ new direction for Light Blue. The July release of the fragrance coincided with the recent “Alta Moda” Dolce & Gabbana couture show at their glamorous castle in Portofino, Italy. D&G muses Balti and Gandy played intimate lovers for the campaign, which evoked a sexy, opulent, yet relaxed summer vacation. As if the attractiveness of the models was not enough allure, notorious photographer Mario Testino shot the pair on the fabulous Italian island of Capri.
In January, Dolce and Gabbana began this year’s ancestry motif after presenting a celebration of family as part of their Fall 2015 menswear show. The design duo coincidentally received some backlash after Dolce made a controversial comment against the conception of children through in vitro fertilization. They have since tried to clarify their notions of the “traditional” family structure, but nowadays their work continues to promote love and community. After all, Dolce and Gabbana ads are known for multiple models and campaign stars to convey a sense of togetherness. Now, as vacation season lingers towards the end of the summer, some togetherness on an Italian beach sounds very correct!
