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As a result of the current case of the Dolce ad & Gabanna that “copies” to Yves Saint Laurent's, we reflect on some "excessive" tributes”

A controversy appears these days around the Dolce campaign & Gabanna Eyewear. It turns out that the photo promoting the new collection of glasses of these designers is “clearly inspired” – what many would call copied – from a very famous photograph by Yves Saint Laurent – en los años 70 – where he announced his first male cologne “Homme”. This image is currently very present in our country (and information from Yves) given the Mapfre exhibition on genius that is taking place right now in Madrid…. The posture, lights, nudity…. same evocation of both images. That photo was taken by Jeanloup Sieff and this one – whose protagonist is the recurring emblematic model of the firm, David Gandy, It is made by the great Mariano Vivanco. But there are more aesthetic references in other campaigns of this Italian firm…

Paul Cadmus versus D painting&G

as they tell me, It is not the first time that Domenico and Stefano have “appropriate” of foreign concepts or images… As an example we can see the comparison of the spring campaign – Summer 2007 (D&G) where the also iconic Steven Klein is inspired «reviewing» clearly the works of the American painters Jared French and Paul Cadmus.

Jared French versus D chart&G

These human still lifes have been idealized with the concept of the Italian firm, D's ads&G are recognizable for it, and it is true that the image is very recognizable, but these references drink from many works of Cadmus and French. These artists already drew these compositions with abundant nudes in the forties and fifties. I suppose that it is intended to revalue these artists, expose his work from a new perspective and “borrow” some of its precepts. For example, Calvin Klein also "honored” to Peter Cadmus in this campaign of the 2009 (more subtle, but there it is!).

As is often said in moda (and in art too, por ejemplo), with masking it under the name of Homage, the word copy is completely avoided. There are more tolerable things where the word inspiration would be well used, but in others, it can almost be crossed out as a copy and update, a remaster. I'm not saying it's wrong, but it's good to know where things come from!