The Portrait of Man: Dolce&Gabbana Redefines Masculine Identity for Fall/Winter 2026

The Accessories Language: Bags and Watches as Identity Markers

Bags: Functionality Meets Personal Expression

The bag lineup centered on three core styles—Vittoria in Taurus leather or fine leathers, My Sicily, and Atene—emphasizing multifunctionality and practicality Dolce & Gabbana. The approach here reflects the collection's broader philosophy: accessories aren't decorative afterthoughts but essential components of how a man presents himself.

The Vittoria bag appeared in multiple iterations across the runway, styled differently depending on the character being portrayed. Some looks paired it with sharp tailoring for a boardroom-to-dinner aesthetic, while others combined it with more relaxed pieces—the pajama-inspired silhouettes and oversized knitwear—showing how the same bag can serve completely different narratives.

My Sicily, already an established house code, showed up as a bridge between heritage and contemporary utility. It's a bag that carries Dolce&Gabbana's Sicilian DNA but functions in urban, global contexts—the kind of piece that works equally well in Milan, Tokyo, or New York.

The Atene bags added a sportier dimension to the accessory mix, providing options for men whose daily lives demand different levels of formality and movement. This wasn't about creating a unified bag collection but about offering tools that match varying lifestyles.

Small leather goods including wallets, compact pouches, and eyewear cases completed the vision with refined aesthetic detail Dolce & Gabbana. These pieces operated as micro-portraits—the wallet a man carries, the way he organizes his essentials, these choices reveal character just as much as his coat or shoes.

Watches: Time as Personal Statement

While the official collection details didn't specify exact watch models worn on the runway, Dolce&Gabbana's approach to timepieces has consistently aligned with their philosophy of Italian creativity and personal expression. Their watch collections typically range from dress watches with classic leather detailing to sporty chronograph designs, allowing for the same kind of character differentiation the collection celebrates.

What matters in the context of The Portrait of Man is how watches were deployed—not as uniform accessories but as chosen elements that complete each individual portrait. A sleek, minimal timepiece signals one kind of man. A substantial chronograph with multiple complications signals another. Both are valid expressions of masculinity; both deserve their moment.

The brand's DS5 models feature colorful dials and rubber straps for sports-inspired looks, while their Swiss-made DG7 iterations lean toward traditional elegance with leather straps. This range mirrors the collection's refusal to prescribe a single way of being—some men need tools, some need refinement, many need both depending on context.

Dolce&Gabbana's previous Alta Orologeria (Manifattura Italiana) line demonstrated their willingness to push timepiece design into maximalist, ornately crafted territory—solid gold pieces celebrating Italian city heritage. While those limited editions represent an extreme end of the spectrum, they establish that the brand views watches as narrative devices, not just functional objects.

The Bigger Accessory Strategy

Every accessory contributes to shaping the desired stylistic portrait Dolce & Gabbana. This line from the show notes captures the essential thinking. Bags and watches aren't separate from the clothing—they're integral to how each look communicates identity.

The collection presented accessories across a wide spectrum of formality and attitude. Refined lace-ups in precious materials sat alongside Bernini ankle boots and sneakers in silver and gold tones inspired by cycling culture Dolce & Gabbana. This range extended to how bags and watches were selected for each runway moment.

What Dolce&Gabbana avoided was the trap of matching sets—the idea that a man buys into a complete, predetermined look. Instead, the accessories offered mixing potential. A formal bag could work with casual knitwear. A sporty watch could ground a velvet tuxedo. The collection trusted men to make their own combinations based on who they actually are rather than who fashion tells them to be.

Practical Luxury

The emphasis on multifunctionality and practicality Dolce & Gabbana in the bag selection signals something important about contemporary luxury menswear. Men aren't just buying objects for display—they need things that work in their actual lives. A bag needs to hold a laptop, gym gear, or travel documents. A watch needs to survive daily wear, not just sit in a safe.

Dolce&Gabbana balanced this practical requirement with their signature maximalist aesthetic. Taurus leather suggests durability and quality. The small leather goods provide organization. The variety in bag styles acknowledges that different days require different tools.

For watches, the same principle applies. Men switching between business meetings, workouts, and evening events need timepieces that can handle transitions—or a collection of watches that serve different purposes. The Portrait of Man doesn't judge either approach.

Character Through Choice

The real story with bags and watches in this collection is choice architecture. By presenting multiple options across style registers—from heritage elegance to contemporary sport, from minimal to ornate—Dolce&Gabbana gave men permission to define themselves through deliberate selection.

This connects directly to the collection's refusal of uniformity. If every man wore the same watch and carried the same bag, the portrait collapses back into stereotype. But when accessories become personal decisions—when a man chooses the Vittoria over the Atene, or opts for a chronograph over a dress watch—he's actively constructing his identity.

The collection treats bags and watches not as finishing touches but as foundational elements of masculine self-presentation. They're the details that reveal whether a man prioritizes tradition or innovation, minimalism or abundance, athletic capability or refined leisure. In The Portrait of Man, these accessories don't complete the outfit—they complete the person.