Recently, Dolce and Gabbana released a new fragrance for men. The perfume, called K was announced through a strong ad campaign featuring InCompany by Attire Club cover star Mariano Di Vaio. The video, set on the Bandini remix of Ennio Morricone's L'Estasi dell'Oro (The Ecstasy of Gold) from Sergio Leone's film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, suggested that men should celebrate their masculinity and advised men to #OwnYourCrown.
This campaign comes as a great surprise, after Dolce and Gabbana were recently heavily criticized for another ad. The reason why this is a surprise is because their campaign goes a lot against the general feeling towards men that has taken the world by storm over the last years.
In the past, there were a lot of issues regarding the relations between the sexes and many writers and activists did have a lot of good points about the problems that were. Those were topics addressed on AC, but, unfortunately, since then, the ideas have pretty much gotten off the rails and morphed into a man-hating monster.
On AC, we've always encouraged men to "own their crown" and there seems to be a trend these days that the strong, multi-dimensional male is bound to make a come-back. Many brands, which have over the last years proposed hyper-feminized looks for men are now starting to go the other direction and suggest more masculine clothes for their customers. Some brands like Dolce and Gabbana or Armani have never really let go of the masculine vibe in their men's collections, as they know their customers very well.
What the world needs these days is probably a little bit more balance. Surely, there can never be exact balance, as this would mean that we are at a standstill, but a little more balance could not hurt. This hard imbalance has made culture not just dull, but quite annoying.
A Dolce and Gabbana caption on social media read "Embrace your masculinity, a constant source of strength." Maybe it is time for men to embrace their masculinity and to see it as something positive, rather than as something negative.
Things change and we all have the power to make positive change in the world. Dolce and Gabbana actually proposed a very beautiful concept of the perfume, which is something that many can use as great inspiration. They said "He is the king of his everyday life. He follows his own path, cherishing his family and loved ones above all else. Effortlessly charming, and not afraid to show his vitality, he remains true to his roots, respecting tradition while embracing modernity."
Maybe that's what we need more of.
Fraquoh and Franchomme
P.S. We want to hear from you! What do you make of the new Dolce and Gabbana ad? Do you think things will change in terms of the view over masculinity in society? What do you think of the current state of men vs. women relations? Share your feedback, questions or thoughts in the comments below! For more articles on style, fashion tips and cultural insights, you can subscribe to Attire Club via e-mail or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!
