The China Mail - Madonna is surprise attraction at Dolce & Gabbana Milan show

Arriving 45 minutes late, the "Material Girl" made her way to her seat -- next to fashion doyenne Anna Wintour, no less -- wearing a short black corset-style dress underneath a black jacket, dark glasses and turquoise gloves.

And when Madonna is at your show during Milan Fashion Week, you practically leap from the catwalk to greet her, as did Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce afterwards, escorting their guest backstage to the flash of hundreds of cameras.

Madonna, who has worked with D&G since the 1990s, stars in the brand's campaign for its The One perfume along with actor Alberto Guerra, also at the show.

The latest collection from the design pair was inspired by the idea of identity, according to the show notes, and built on "Sicily as emotion, black as strength, lace as intimacy, tailoring as authority".

Double-breasted panels featured on sharply tailored menswear-inspired black coats, trenches and pinstripe suits -- but placed on the garment's back side, offering a surprise enjoyed from both directions on the catwalk.

The designers heavily tapped black lace and sheer silk organza, allowing for ample glimpses of skin despite skirts cut to the shins, some with flouncy hems.

The lingerie feel pervaded the collection, on minidresses with long sleeves, flowing skirts, see-through tops or on bralettes worn underneath other lacey looks.

- Love life -

As in many of D&G's past collections, Sicily, the birthplace of Dolce, loomed large, whether in the knit fringed shawls that recalled elderly Sicilian widows or the black kerchiefs tied under the chin covering the models' hair.

The expert crochet handiwork on sweaters and shawls could have been done by Sicilian grandmothers -- who would likely have been shocked by how the old-fashioned technique became modern and sexy in the hands of the two designers.

A black corset and garters over hot pants were accessorised by a scarf that recalled a Sicilian staple, a fishing net, with its open weave.

Little black dresses were structured, sensual and very tight, while imposing (fake) fur coats were belted and paired with black kerchiefs.

One showstopper with diagonal white-and-black stripes would have made Disney villainess Cruella de Vil proud, while another in rich brown and black tones looked as if it could have been worn by Edie Beale in the 1975 queer culture classic, documentary "Grey Gardens".

After the show, D&G Chief Executive Alfonso Dolce, Domenico's brother, declined to comment on the current environment in the luxury industry, but told AFP that "we need to be positive, love life, and do our best every day in what we can do.

"We need love and peace, because if we have that, we have everything."

W.Cheng--ThChM