The Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2019 RTW collection was divided into a dozen or so sections, each one representative of one of the signatures the designers have developed over the past 36 years: men’s tailoring, leopard print, brocade, sequins, and women’s tailoring in menswear fabrics. Fatto a manowas stitched across the bodice of one of the dresses: “Made by hand.”

This was a tongue-in-cheek take on a method of presentation that had mostly passed out of fashion by the time Dolce and Gabbana started working.

In 2019, not all women dream of being princesses or whisked away for a 365-hour shopping spree by a man. Some would like to be whisked away by another woman, and some are happy to pay for their purchases themselves.

That said, for the Dolce & Gabbana client, this was a winning show—a full day-to-night wardrobe of time-tested looks, minus the athleisure, streetwear, and influencer front row that they had lately taken on board in a bid at currency. In a preview, the designers said that the young celebrities they’ve been dressing, the men especially, have been turned on by sartorialism—some of these guys had never worn a suit before their first Dolce & Gabbana fitting. They’re advocating for a similar “return to classicality” on the women’s side.

In the flower section, some of the prints weren’t prints at all but heat transfers of individual blooms with glossy surfaces, which mixed with three-dimensional fabric and raffia flowers on full-skirted dresses and more fitted, sexy ones. They also got playful with patternmaking on a pair of dresses that were spliced together from separate 1940s and 1980s silhouettes.

The road to the runway is one of measurements, of fittings, of ensuring that every detail is taken care of. All under the watchful eye of the Designers. Watch as these looks come to life on the catwalk.