Dolce & Gabbana Miss Sicily Satchels, $1407 and $2805 via Luisa Via Roma.
Sometimes when I write a post about something that I think might be a burgeoning trend, I feel as though I’ve participated in a bit of fashion-industry magical thinking. I speculate on something – shape, a color, or in this case, a pattern – and suddenly, I start seeing it everywhere. And that’s exactly what has happened since I recently wondered aloud whether Gucci’s zebra resort bags were an indication that fashion would be playing more heavily with an animal print other than leopard.
This morning I came across pre-orders for these two Dolce & Gabbana Miss Sicily Satchels in sequins and calf hair, and they have me more convinced than ever that we’re going to be seeing more zebra over the next few seasons. Like leopard, the pattern is versatile and has the potential to be used as a neutral, and it feels a little bit fresher because I haven’t seen it everywhere for the past year.
The problem with zebra is that it tends to look cheap compared to other animal prints, so fabrication and attention to detail are of utmost importance. On the other hand, a designer can choose to fully embrace the campy, kitschy qualities of the print and find themselves with an equally fabulous product, which is what Dolce & Gabbana did with its Fall 2011 collection. I had forgotten that the show included so much zebra because Dolce is much more commonly associated with leopard (and what a fine stable of leopard prints it has), but for fun, I would carry either of these bags. What I’m not so sure of is whether or not I’d be willing to actually pay for them. Buy through Luisa Via Roma for $1407 or $2805, respectively.
