D&G's veiled tribute to Madonna begs a revisit to the cone bra and other fashion staples immortalised by the pop icon

Milan Fashion Week surely knows how to conclude the last of its big runway shows with a bang and what better way than to schedule the native legacy brand, D&G's Spring/Summer 2025 collection up for an ornate display. Dubbed 'Italian Beauty', Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana's delightfully dark lineup of looks featured a heavy hand of sultry-coded black and red with an equally strong dose of unmissably feminine paraphernalia like garters, corsets and floral prints. Though evergreen pop icon Madonna may not have been directly cited as the core inspiration, nobody needed to look twice to figure out how 'Italian Beauty' was undoubtedly a sartorial ode to her. How are we so sure? Here's your crash course on the not at all demure, but very mindfully feminine, cone bra.

The cone bra: Then and now

A recurring part of D&G's 'Italian Beauty' lineup were the cone bras donned by the blonded (if you know, you know) models. Be it as the statement detail in the satin slip dresses or layered beneath snug jackets and svelte skirts — it was definitely the detail you couldn't help but drool over. But what's the history of the cone bra?

Getting right into it, the cone bra is among Madonna's most iconic looks over the years. Back in 1990, at the turn of the decade, the popstar collaborated with Jean Paul Gaultier whose icy white cone bra leotard creation not only furthered Madonna's legacy of outrageously iconic fashion, but set the tone for the decades to come as well. The look was debuted during her Blonde Ambition tour, which pulls right back into the uniform permed, banded platinum bubbly blonde hair sported by every last model who walked the ramp for D&G yesterday. The cone bra's icon status comes from the fact that the simple silhouette is as confrontationally feminist as it gets, and we're here for it. And evidently, so is D&G.

Beyond the cone bra

The cone bra and the blonde locks were of course the focal point. Other notes which turned heads included waist-cinching corsets, lots and lots of sheerness — some lace-locked, others not — and fun and flirty florals, largely in bright red. Some references to these include the 1990 Vogue music video in which Madonna pulled off a sheer, black, skin-tight lace top, her bright yellow corseted Olivier Theyskens ballgown look from the 1998 VH1 Fashion Awards and the red, hooded Jean Paul Gaultier Kimono dress from the Grammys in 2000.

Speaking of the icon herself, Madonna of course graced the D&G exhibit in an entry that was laced with mysterious drama, pun intended. She donned a trailing black Chantilly lace veil, fixed in place with a gold and crystal-encrusted crown as she took her front row seat next to Naomi Campbell. The conclusion of the show was marked with her heartily greeting the designer duo of the hour.

What's your favourite Madonna look from over the years?