No, don't sleep "when you're dead". They're very important, those eight or nine hours. They can reduce the risk of dementia, which is really helpful, and a long, groggy, squint at the sunlight as if you've just left a Lord of the Rings marathon at Odeon is a marker of the finest sort of sleep. But bed is not just a place of slumber in These Strange Times. It's an office! A dining room! A pit of existential dread! And given the added REM and relaxation, it made sense for brands to pivot to sleepwear: luxury sleepwear, no less. They're getting good at it, too. Perhaps a little too good for hours upon hours of unconsciousness. And atop this new pile-up of velour, silk and real shiny sadwear, sits Dolce & Gabbana.
During the debut of the brand's latest A/W '21 collection (as is tradition, a ritzy procession of more than 100 looks backdropped by a carousel of Famous People in digital attendance, and soundtracked by a loop of Justin Bieber), the crowning 'fit was arguably a bright pink set of proper PJs. Which, in a collection more iridescent than a TikTok filter, is no mean feat. Sleepwear isn't usually an essential in modern menswear design.
But the times! Of course! Yes, fashion, like everything else, has irrevocably changed because of these times. Dolce & Gabbana wasn't alone in their nod to the land of nod. Fendi and Dries Van Noten were also somnolent. Dolce & Gabbana distinguished itself, however, by leaning into full on hip-hop video slumber party as opposed to stuff that could, arguably, be confused for clothes we wore pre-March 2020. Comfort comes first in the pyjamas of Dolce & Gabbana, and, because it is Dolce & Gabbana, there's a double shot of excess.
Oversized, cosy and in the soft material you'd find in one of Jamiroquai's quieter hats, the bright pop of Anna Nicole pink alongside unabashed logomania made said PJs so memorable. Cuffs were ribbed, as a bit of stretch is always nice. The bottoms, a combination of sweatpants and cargo trousers, were of a similar ilk, and nicely finished by a really fluffy pair of sliders that may or may not have been stolen from California's infamous Madonna Inn.
They stood out, but Dolce and Gabbana's PJs weren't discordant with the collection at large. Speaking to Vogue, co-founder Stefano Gabbana described the show as a reflection of today's youth culture, a "very spontaneous, very pop" affair that ran through the glittering, patchwork quilt-like tapestry of the A/W '21 collection. Classic leather bags were mixed with power tailoring in stripes, houndstooth and pinstripes, often all at the same time. Trousers were golden, and leather. Necklaces were piled high. All in all, then, a show as eclectic and as lively as the tastemakers that appeared on the video wall behind the models.
But all of that can wait until things get normal. For now, Dolce & Gabbana wants you to treat sleepwear with the same gusto you'd give to everyday clothes. You're going to relax, son, and you're going to like it.
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