We all know that this time of the summer is basically nonexistent in the fashion world. Megs and Vladi are on vacation, emails slow down to a trickle, it’s impossible to get ahold in anyone who works in an office after noon on Fridays. And here I am, plugging away, trying to conjure a blog out of thin air. But sometimes, the absolute stillness of the industry allows you to notice some things you might otherwise brush off.
Today, that means I noticed both the Dolce & Gabbana Miss Romantique Dome Satchel and Dolce & Gabbana Miss Sicily Tiger Sequins Satchel are, well, both made my Dolce & Gabbana. In the same season. Most brands certainly have a range of bags that goes from safe to flamboyant in order to satisfy a range of customers and purposes (some bags need to do the heavy lifting at retail, some need to garner editorial attention from magazines, still others need to get noticed by blogs like this one), but these two designs constitute about as wide of a range as I’ve ever seen from a single collection.
Usually, when you look at an extreme runway bag next to one from the same designer’s regular line, there’s at least some sort of aesthetic continuity between the two ideas. But here…I’ve got nothing. And although I like both of the bags in their own way, I can’t help but wonder if this is part of what keeps Dolce from making a much bigger impact in the handbag market. The brand’s bags are always fun, but I have a hard time figuring out exactly what woman D&G is trying to dress when it comes to accessories in particular. (I think we’ve all met the Dolce ready-to-wear ideal.) I feel like I know all about the Prada girl, the Proenza girl, the Louis Vuitton girl – but when it comes to bags, who’s the Dolce girl? Truly, I’d like to know.
Dolce & Gabbana Miss Romantique Domed Satchel, $1775 via Nordstrom
Dolce & Gabbana Miss Sicily Tiger Sequins Satchel $1125 via Nordstrom