Does anyone know what’s happened to Dolce & Gabbana?

Fashion week has been a time bizarre time. Christopher Kane tried to bring back crocs (with fur, because they weren’t bad enough to begin with). Gucci used models who covered their entire body – including their faces – in glitter suits. And Dolce & Gabbana apparently raided H&M for ideas.

At D&G’s Fall Winter 17/18 show this week, they debuted a collection featuring hashtags, slogans written on handbags (the worst was All You Need Is Wi-Fi) and literal t-shirts with Justin Bieber’s face on them. Understandably, everyone was pretty confused and upset.

https://twitter.com/saabcouture/status/835856538791215104

It’s not as if D&G are on a downward spiral exactly. Their recent groundbreaking hijab and abaya line was heavily praised, and you don’t have to look back far to see that their vibe used to be majestic royalty, rather than ‘Forever 21 sale rail t-shirts that regional bloggers will wear on Instagram’.

If the cringe hashtags on their Instagram are anything to go by (#DGmillennials, #realpeople) it’s all part of a cynical ploy to involve The Youth in fashion – 17-year-old Madison Beer and Vine star Lele Pons walked in the show. Which as an angle isn’t the worst thing in the world, but does seem a bit hackneyed and past-it. It’s embarrassing to think that someone at D&G has thought “yes, this is definitely how social media starlets get their millions of followers, from writing ‘amore’ and drawing robots on handbags”.

Also, and more importantly, it just doesn’t look good.

@rosielanners