It Costs Nothing to Dream: Dolce and Gabbana's New Kitchen Line
On the 18th of April 2017, my best friend told me something that set my heart aflutter. Now, before you get too excited it’s nothing sappy or romantic. In fact, the devastating truth is it's something I can’t have. Still lost? Well, wait no further: Dolce & Gabbana have teamed up with Smeg once again to create a line of beautiful designer kitchen appliances. This was my reaction when she told me:
Okay. So I’m being a tiny bit dramatic. Regardless, this was still huge news. Just to drive home how important this was to me, I polled people who knew me in my early childhood about what my greatest passions were as a kid. Honestly.
They all said reading, which wasn’t my desired response. However, with gentle guidance they seemed to settle on two more: fashion and cooking.
A lot of people already know that when I was a kid I started a fashion “company” with my bestie Jazzie (the one who just dissed my priorities at her eighth birthday party). But cooking was up there too. I remember being five and “making cookies” — i.e. making goo out of flour, sugar, and water and baking it until it solidified. I’d force my mum to taste-test my creations which somehow always garnered some sort of half-compliment from her (“Wow they’re really… crunchy today”). Over time both my fashion and cooking skills improved a lot, and now, fifteen years after the fact, I’m still super obsessed with both. So, taking that into account, and keeping in mind that D & G is one of my favourite designers, this was groundbreaking news for me.
I love Dolce and Gabbana because of their bright Sicilian-inspired patterns. I also love how they try to create a narrative of the Italian life through their designs. Food is central to the Southern Italian lifestyle, so this second collaboration with Smeg focused more on the process of creating food rather than storing it (their previous collaboration was a set of 100 unique fridges). The patterns on each appliance are all different, but all relate directly to Sicily:
“All these products are decorated with reflective interpretations of Sicilian folklore. Lemons, prickly pears, and bright red cherries are just a selection of Sicilian decorations that are framed in triangular motifs known as crocchi, that decorate these small appliances. Together with crocchi, the appliances are covered in delicate floral motifs and images of the enthralling Mount Etna, surrounded by ornamental friezes, and decorative acanthus leaves.”
I love folklore, and I love narrative. If something can tell a story without words I am captivated. Dolce and Gabbana strove to create art in these appliances, and I believe they did it exceedingly well.
This collection features a blender, citrus juicer, coffee machine, kettle, stand mixer, slow juicer, and two toasters. If you put a gun to my head and told me to choose only one appliance, I'd cry because the decision is so painful. Then I'd tell you the kettle.
Prices have yet to be released, but given that the previous collection’s fridges sold for upwards of $34,000, I’d anticipate that they’re not in a college-friendly budget. Sometimes it’s just better to dream.
Featured image via
Check out the official release statement here.
