Designers have made plays big and small for the loyalty of younger admirers at Milan Fashion Week.
They have reached out with Instagram-savvy supermodels like Gigi Hadid, styles that incorporate more elements of street-wear and ever-evolving technology, as highlighted with Dolce & Gabbana's clever use of drones during their womenswear show.
The fashion crowd was mystified and then miffed when the Dolce & Gabbana show was delayed by repeated announcements that all Wi-Fi connections needed to be turned off and then the announcer calling out the scofflaws.
Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour got out of her seat to investigate. There were catcalls.
Then, 45 minutes after the scheduled start time, relief at the sound of opening music turned quickly to awe as the doors of the mocked-up church facade opened and out flew a series of drones. Each carried one of the fashion house's quilted leather handbags of the season, named Devotion and featuring a heart-shaped closure.
While the designing duo of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana again showed their mastery of marketing, the collection that followed made clear they would have sent the bags down the runway with flying cherubs, if only they could figure out how.
