Dolce & Gabbana [IG] taps ace photographer Steven Meisel [IG] for a sensual but very sophisticated Spring-Summer 2024 ad campaign starring a large human gaggle of talent.

Historically, Dolce & Gabbana has always liked crowds, and this new campaign is no exception. Posers include Akbar Shamji, Habib Masovic, Jackson Jarrell, Lulu Tenney, Nora Attal, Rosalieke Fuchs, Vivienne Rohner and Yoesry Detre.

Designers Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabbana work with art director Fabien Baron and stylist Karl Templer to create an atmosphere rich with high-class swagger, penetrating eye confidence, and an attitude that says “judge me at your own risk — because I will take you down.”

In America, we would say that this club has street smarts. Sort of like a billionaire friend of mine who threw chairs at other guys on the trading floor at Solomon. Yes, he was sent to detention but failed to reform his ways. And he made way too much money for the firm. So they lived with him — and nobody messed with him.

Of course, with Steven Meisel [IG] on photography, the images will have these ingredients because Meisel often plays high-low with his human subjects. As a result, there are layers of meaning and interpretation that seep out of the images and into our own minds. They are created to be mildly disruptive, another characteristic that makes them interesting and one that Meisel understands deeply.

One of the advantages of AOC’s daily project of revitalizing our archives is that we plunge back in time 10-15 years frequently and — whenever possible — back 20-30 years. The latter is more difficult, especially when a single restoration can take as long as 3-4 hours to execute.

AOC challenges ourselves to examine why certain fashion posts are worth sending for renewal and others aren’t.

Given who we are — AOC’s own identity — we are looking for the storytellers. We’re looking for layers of multiple meanings. We’re looking for images that obviously demanded excellence of the cast and crew. We like confrontation — smiles or not — and hate vacuous fashion-world stares. We want to push the envelope, but not beyond what luxury clients can digest.

We are looking for visual persuasion requests to self-identify with the brand’s story or campaign — not from our own empty-minds needing direction from above — but the exact opposite. We have fertile and rich minds on AOC.

Anyone who puts up with all this AOC text in today’s world has a gardening-kind of mind, one finely-tuned to the human psychology of flowers and just how many varieties of orchids grow in Madagascar.

In the case of Dolce & Gabbana, they are hands-down on an interesting path to unlock their total success capacity. A soul is emerging in the brand that was not there before — consistently absent and for years.

AOC is becoming probably boring on this theme — having said it several times in recent weeks —but Dolce & Gabbana’s consistency is impressive. Don’t screw it up, guys, as it takes time to make the wine.

What I love about Dolce & Gabbana is that their garden is an Italian garden in the same way Loro Piana and Brunello Cucinelli are Italian gardens. But they are planting different crops growing in different parts of Italy and Sicily and Sardinia — from Rome to Milan to Florence and Venice.

To date they are not tripping over each other, even if we add Armani and Valentino the the mix. Yes, Versace, too. Rubbing elbows? Perhaps in a couple cases, but it’s not a brawl.

When the Music Stops

What’s the name of that kids’ game where they’re all running around — musical chairs? When the music stops, one child is standing without a chair and has to leave the game.

One important brand is playing this Italian game with no chair to even hit “start the music” — Brand X. In the midst of cost-cutting, we hope they don’t cut up whatever heart was left in this iconic Italian brand.

PR word-salads might fool outsiders for awhile, but not us. AOC means ‘Us’ broadly — it includes you.

We didn’t even post the new SS 2024 campaign for Brand X, but now we will — without comment, as AOC dislikes being this aggressive. [Truth! You don’t believe it, but Truth!]

Everything this campaign IS, the other Italian campaign IS NOT. With each day, the stakes get higher, because the Italians are driving at warp speed in this moment.

About That Other Icarus-Inspired, Formula One Italian Guy

Then there’s that other problem for Brand X. The Formula One-loving, Italian guy with a spectacular view from Rue du Pont Neuf is as close to being Icarus, as AOC wants him to fantasize.

We’re on the search for a new mythology that appeals to this ubuntu-loving, superhuman business guy.

No flameouts, okay, oh talented one? That blazing sun WILL melt the wax in your wings.

Trust me. Rue du Pont Neuf likes this campaign. It’s a precious gem of an expensive, street-smart necklace, and anyone with an ounce of business sense knows it’s time to take Dolce & Gabbana seriously.

This is an Italian movie worth watching. Every episode; every actor — and that silly kids game of musical chairs. ~ Anne