Fall 2006 Dolce & Gabbana Part 2

Even more surprisingly, there was a properness to this collection that was positively Mittel Europa. It was seductively present in a handful of velvet suits (heathery purple, silvery gray, olive-green, brick-red, and blue) but it also showed up in vintage-looking, side-buckled leather jackets.

The brocaded military jackets in the finale had a distinct Austro-Hungarian edge. And the tails shown with white shirts and black velvet scarves tied high round the neck were a vision of scrupulous Georgian elegance.