Dolce & Gabbana Shines in Milan

It wasn't hard to guess why Kylie was in the front row at the Dolce & Gabbana show yesterday. Judging by what was far and away the glitziest show of Milan fashion week, the singer was shopping for stage outfits for her next tour. For surely an extravagant stage cabaret is the only place it is possible to wear a multicoloured crystal and sequinned catsuit with angel sleeves and get away with it.

The design duo have a reputation for such glitz, and this collection puts their design point across clearly. The label also has a track record of putting underwear on display, so it wasn't a surprise that visible bra straps and corsetry were key elements in the show. The surprise, though, was that this was presented as daywear, and that much of the corsetry was made of Perspex worn over mini dresses. Vying for the title of most unwearable was a Perspex-moulded corset dress with sculpted hip panniers, a sort of sexed-up piece of armour, worn over a wet-look metallic shirt. Though it will look odd in the label's shop, in a strange way it did fit in with fashion's current predilection for volume around the hips.

Dolce and & Gabbana is a money-spinning operation - it is a private company worth an estimated £600m - so what will the label sell from this collection? The tailored dark denim separates with patent leather trim and the gold chain handle iPod holders provided the clues.