Dolce & Gabbana’s SS25 runway felt like a walk down memory lane, with models flaunting blonde wigs, cone bras, and corsets – straight out of a Madonna playbook. While the looks were undeniably a bold expression of femininity, it felt all too familiar. If you couldn’t shake the feeling of déjà vu as well, it is because we have already seen this – courtesy of Jean Paul Gaulthier.
It is no secret that Gaulthier was known for his unconventionality and outlandish designs. Inspired by the bullet bra of the 1950s, he debuted his first inspired interpretation down the runway for his F/W 1984 collection.
Gaulthier took his cone bra to the next level when he dressed Madonna in it in the 90s for her renowned Blonde Ambition tour. The very first rendition of the Madonna cone bra was first shown in Gaulthier’s 1987 runway presentation. In the same way Hubert de Givenchy became synonymous with Audrey Hepburn, Madonna became synonymous with Gaulthier’s cone bra.
The bra represented a fusion of female empowerment and provocative, avant-garde style. Madonna’s bold persona paired with Gaultier’s vision of the cone bra pushed boundaries in how women’s bodies were represented in fashion and media, especially in the late 20th century. The cone bra challenged traditional notions of femininity, embracing sexuality and power in a way that had never been seen before. It became a cultural symbol, blending music, fashion, and feminism.
Fast forward to September 2024, the cone bra makes a reappearance on the runway – this time under the creative direction of Dolce & Gabbana. The SS25 collection paid clear homage to Madonna’s iconic look, reimagining the cone bra and corset-style dresses that directly echoed the Blond Ambition era. But how original was this reinterpretation?
When comparing Dolce & Gabbana’s SS25 to Gaultier’s work, the similarities are hard to ignore. The exaggerated cones, structured bodices, and bold lines that defined Gaultier’s designs for Madonna are present, but not in a way that feels entirely new or evolved. Instead, they seem like carbon copies of the original, right down to the way the models were styled with their hair pulled back and faces framed with bold, striking jewelry.
It is true that fashion is constantly recycling ideas but there is a point where inspiration veers into imitation. In the case of Dolce & Gabbana’s SS25 show, it is difficult to discern how much of this collection adds to the conversation versus how much it relies on Gaultier’s legacy to generate buzz. The pieces, though alluring, do not feel like they push boundaries in the way Madonna and Gaultier did decades ago. Instead, they rehash old ideas in a way that feels safe, rather than innovative.
Dolce & Gabbana’s SS25 show walks a fine line between paying tribute to fashion history and showing a lack of creativity. While it’s perfectly acceptable to draw from iconic moments—after all, fashion is cyclical—the execution matters. The question isn’t whether homage is wrong, but how much homage is too much before it becomes laziness.
In this case, Dolce & Gabbana’s reliance on the cone bra and Madonna’s image for the majority of the women’s collection looks feels like an easy route to garner attention. It taps into a well of nostalgia that guarantees buzz, but it doesn’t add anything new to the cultural conversation. Where is the innovation? Gaultier’s original designs were groundbreaking because they played with gender, power, and form in a way that hadn’t been done before. Dolce & Gabbana’s reinterpretation, on the other hand, seems to piggyback on that legacy without adding their own creative twist. Put bluntly, it feels like a replication of that moment without the same depth.
This SS25 collection raises questions about the role of major fashion houses in today’s industry. Are brands becoming too comfortable leaning on past icons and their work rather than creating new fashion moments? If nostalgia becomes the dominant driving force, where does that leave room for innovation?
From a business point of view, Dolce & Gabbana’s SS25 collection may have been a calculated move designed to generate headlines. After all, drawing on Madonna’s legacy is a sure-fire way to capture attention — both from the fashion press and social media. In a time where fashion shows are as much about spectacle and virality as they are about the clothes themselves, it is possible that the designers leaned heavily on nostalgia because it guaranteed coverage. Is Dolce & Gabbana taking advantage of Madonna’s legacy for commercial gain, or are they paying genuine tribute to one of pop culture’s most revolutionary style moments?
As the line between homage and imitation continues to blur, fashion houses must carefully consider how they engage with the past. In the case of Dolce & Gabbana’s SS25, that line is finer than ever.
By Ashley Wee
Sources:
https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1984-gaultier-cone-bra/
https://world.dolcegabbana.com/fashion-shows/women-spring-summer-2025-fashion-show#Highlights
https://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/jean-paul-gaultier-style-file
https://www.harpersbazaar.com/it/moda/storie/a42175883/storia-cone-bra-jean-paul-gaultier/
