Their inspiration boards were pasted with printouts of vintage posters advertising the attractions of Capri, Venice, Rome, and Florence; movie stills of Italian stars; and pictures of all kinds of handmade, homemade souvenir embroideries. This summer, the designers have moved on from exploring Sicilian history to seeing Italy’s glories through the eyes of the foreign tourists who began to flood into the country after World War II. There, visitors found little shops selling embroidered circle skirts and sundresses, printed scarves, sandals, straw hats—things that Italian women had been making at home to cheer themselves up in times of austerity. “This is where the first boutiques came from,” explained Gabbana. “We think it was the beginning of Italian fashion. And it was because foreigners saw it and liked it! Sometimes we Italians don’t appreciate all the things we have here!”
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