12.54: Good morning Internet! As I haven’t been able to blag an invite for the actual Dolce & Gabbana Men’s Fall/Winter 2013 show, (they’re like gold dust apparently) I’ve decided to join the rest of the millions of mere mortals who’ll be watching the live stream on Facebook. As of now there’s 1hr and 06 mins to go and counting...

13.00: Ah Milan, as the morning sun breaks over the roofs of the city and melts the last lingering frost from the cobbled streets and ancient doorways, it’s one of those beautiful crisp, sunny winter mornings and there’s an air of excitement about the city. Ok you cannot not know that it’s Men’s Fashion Week in Milan, as usual the place is just packed with models, everywhere you go its like a luxury brand ad, they bring out the incredible Milanese women too. And then, in a puff of smoke, they’re gone, and it’s back to the daily grind.

13.11:  According to the official Doce&Gabbana press release for this show the inspiration is – The starting point of the Dolce&Gabbana Fall/Winter 2013 men’s collection is the strong and renowned masculine tailoring tradition, which has evolved in volumes and processes, experimenting in new cuts and embroidery until they take on a life of their own. A history that from its own past finds the impulse to always look for something NEW.

Ok, so it doesn’t tell me much, just a teaser really. These guys really have it locked down tight. I mean the starting point of the fashion collection is traditional men’s tailoring, I think that means lots of classic Italian cut suits, strong traditional lines and simple looks…actually like the sound of this. Let’s see, shall we?

13.15: Tall latte, check, Sparkling water, check…. Anything else I need? Oh yeah, I forgot to eat, better do it now, before the madness starts! Is it a sin to eat whilst watching a fashion show? Bah… no one knows.

13:30 Just nipped out for a quick bite…. Panino with mozzerella and tomatoes if you must know…very good it was too.

13.55: The count down says 20 minutes to go…. after months of preparation and hard work by Messrs Dolce and Gabbana it’ll all be over after about 15 minutes and the world will have the new Dolce&Gabbana Men’s Fall/Winter 2013 collection.

14.05: I hear the soundtrack of the show is by Giuseppe Verdi and Lucianno Pavarotti…. Ok this is shaping up to be an Italian extrtravaganza …OH SOLE MIO!!!!!

14.09: My man on the inside tells me the colours are all the grey hues with hints of bordeaux, dark green and camel. Right now I’m thinking La Bella Vita and Cinema Italiano in glorious sepia tones with gentle hints of colour, sounds sumptuous… think I can take my sunglasses off for this one!

“The most important accessory of the collection is the shoes, embroidered and characterised by gaiters worn over pointed and rounded-toe shoes. Always present are the iconic Sicilian caps and romantic ribbon bow-ties.”

14.12: From what I can see, everyone is taking their seats…. here it is! The booming voice of Lucianno Pavarotti fills the hall. What an opening!!!

14.13: There’s the incomparable Bianca Balti, she sets the opening scene. Watch all the comments from backstage herehttps://twitter.com/#!/dolcegabbana

14.15: I think they have the wrong place…I s this the Metrolpol or opening night at La Scala?

14.16: Celebs photo call. The all seem very relaxed….

Francesco Scianna, Carolina Crescentini, Beppe Fiorello, Filippo Nigro, Chiara Francini, Filippo Pucill, Tali Lennox, Solange Knowles, Massimo Poggio, Edoardo Natoli, Mary Charteris …

14.21: Chiara Francini…she knows how to work the camera. Love her!

14.22: Tinie Tempah… looks super relaxed, control your Tempah!

1423: on FB they’re saying CAN'T WAIT ANYMORE!!!!! :D almost there guys…keep your shirts on (for now!)

14.25: The problem with all this grand operatic music is that I can barely contain my excitement…and this is making it worse!

14.26: on FB, It's showtime! Cool! My friend it certainly is…

14.28: OK it’s starting to take shape now. Sit down people! Come on this is Dolce&Gabbana Fall/Winter 2013!

14.32: on the catwalk there’s strewn antique baroque Italian furnishings…. It sets the scene of chaotic, decayed, beautiful…perfectly Italian.

14.33: it seems Dolce&Gabbana have put all their stock in the Italian concept… Made in Italy… and why wouldn’t they? It’s what they do best…

14.34: on FB: Finalmente sta per iniziare davvero :) xoxo Syrious 

Syrious, you’re saying exactly what I’m thinking., but in Italian :P

14.36: Ok finally. Ladies and Gentlemen, Signore e Signori, here it is!

14.38: Lights camera action: First up the full length cape….

Very serious suited models, this is traditional stuff!

14.39: All very traditional, cool and confident so far….suits mostly black but grey.

The suit for next FW will be in typical fabrics in the traditional sartorial style but with velvet, silk and lace treatments.

14.40: Gold Baroque details feature heavily, the working is so incredible. How do they do that?

14.41: These foppish floppy bow ties are AMAZING. I’m already sold.

14.42: The feel is definitely Baroque, Gentleman dressing of another era but with a modern twist. It all reminds me of ‘Il Gattopardo’ by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa – a heartachingly beautiful portrait of the end of the old aristocratic order in Sicliia…

14.43: Capes feature big…I think this means next year I’ll be living my fantasy of a Victorian gentleman….It looks like absinth and laudanum might be back in fashion too.

14.43: Ah the silk pyjama! Perfect for lounging around, a gentleman simply must have the right pyjamas.

14.44: The velvet jacket is here to stay, I just love it!

14.45: This intricate filigree gold detailing is brilliant!

14.46: The over coat is very important in this show they’re full length and heavy and the bags look like old style leather travelling bags or Dr. Jekyl’s medical bag…bet they’re full of ‘tonics’ and ‘tinctures’.

14.47: All beautifully decadent …

It’s at times like this that the true genius of these guys shines through…this is more than clothes, design, this is art, theatre, opera, industry, evoking epochs long gone and landscapes much changed. Let’s not call this a ‘New Romantic movement’…I call it  ‘Now Romantic’.

This all brings to mind English Romantic poet Shelley (who drowned in the Gulf of Napoli) and his time in Italy with Lord Byron…

14.48: An army of Italian gentlemen…it looks like a 19^th century medical school roll call

14.49: And there’s the men themselves…Well done Mr. Dolce and Mr. Gabbana, you have really delivered here, going back to your roots and painting a stylistic masterpiece.

14.50: If this collection defines what I’m going to be wearing next year then the theme is Italian gentlemen…I’ll raise my glass to that!

14.55: SO that’s it, we can all take a deep breath! Now where’s the after show party at?

15.02: Online reaction is all very positive:

Harrods of London Twitted: The @dolcegabbana show was a symphony of elegance and intricate detail and we loved it. 

Couldn’t agree more Harrods…

1508: Great feedback about the ‘sumptuous gold filigree detailing’. This a big hit people.

15.20: Online people are saying the collection reminds them of Mc Queen. I think he would approve.

15:30: I’m loving the online streaming of the show in real time. I think I probably had a better view than most of the guests. Hah! The only thing missing is a live voice over commentary, but who could do it…any suggestions?

15.40: Wikipedia tells me that ‘the word baroque is derived from the Portuguese word "barroco", Spanish "barroco", or French "baroque", all of which refer to a "rough or imperfect pearl".

‘In informal usage, the word baroque can simply mean that something is "elaborate", with many details, without reference to the Baroque styles of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.’

There you go people, you got it from the ‘fountain of all knowledge’, so when you’re wearing you Dolce&Gabbana Mens FW 2013 collection, and everyone asks you about it, you can just throw it into conversation, real casual like….

1558: It’s back up! You can now watch a replay of the fantastic Dolce&Gabbana Men’s Fall/Winter 2013 Fashion show on repeat just in case you missed any of those teeny tiny details.

Written by Hugo McCafferty