Irina Shayk Goes From Alaïa to the Dolce & Gabbana Archives
Irina Shayk is one of the many models bringing glamour to the Venice Film Festival, and so far, she has served up four looks spanning body-con Alaïa, two archival pulls and a more subdued turn on the red carpet.
Arrival
Irina arrived in Venice wearing a fitted Alaïa dress styled with a Ferragamo Cara bag and Alaïa mesh shoes, proving that even her off-duty looks come with plenty of sex appeal.
The slate-grey colour may be subdued, but there is nothing understated about the silhouette. This is classic Irina, and an easy introduction to her Venice wardrobe.
Hotel Excelsior Arrival
It may be the final days of summer, but that grey-blue Alaïa dress was the last bit of colour we would see from Irina, as it was trademark black from here on out.
The blackout started with her official arrival at the Hotel Excelsior, where she wore an archival Givenchy Fall 2015 look by Riccardo Tisci. Considering Irina is a longtime friend and muse of the designer, I’m not surprised she went into his Givenchy archive.
I’ll ignore the length of those trousers because that embroidered peplum jacket deserves all the attention. The intricate beading, exaggerated sleeves and sharply defined waist make it easy to see why this piece was worth revisiting more than a decade later.
The Echo Chamber Premiere
After receiving the Filming Italy Venice International Award, which recognises figures who have contributed to the international reach of audiovisual culture and entertainment, Irina attended Alicia Vikander’s The Echo Chamber premiere wearing another archival look, this time from the Dolce & Gabbana Spring 2003 collection.
The dress was originally worn on the runway by Gisele Bündchen and came from a collection that leaned heavily into punk and S&M references, with criss-cross lacing appearing throughout. More than two decades later, the corseted satin and exposed side lacing still read unmistakably Dolce & Gabbana.
And that is what makes this archival pull interesting to me. It doesn’t feel like Irina is trying to revive a forgotten piece; this style of dress is so closely associated with the house that it could almost have been designed for her today.
The opaque stockings, satin pumps and crystal choker push the look even further into Irina’s sultry, dark territory. For me, this is exactly the kind of archival Dolce & Gabbana look that suits Irina, because she has the attitude to sell every inch of it.
L’Estranea Premiere
This evening, Irina returned to the red carpet in another black dress, but the mood was considerably more demure than the previous night.
At least, that is what the front would have you believe.
The asymmetric draping and long sleeves initially make this feel like a complete change of pace after the Dolce & Gabbana dress, until you see that the back is completely open. It’s a clever reveal, and far more interesting than if the entire dress had followed the same covered-up approach.
Four looks in, Irina’s Venice wardrobe has been remarkably consistent: even when she changes the silhouette or dips into the archives, there is always an element of sensuality.
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