Knights march in fairy tale Dolce&Gabbana show

Fairies in flowing dresses, little red riding hoods in fur and female knights in bejewelled chainmail took over the catwalk at Dolce&Gabbana's fairy-tale show at Milan Fashion Week on Sunday.

Stefano Dolce and Domenico Gabbana once again drew on Dolce's Sicilian roots for a varied collection rich in Baroque patterns, embroidery and even the crossed keys that symbolise the papacy.

Most original were the shiny hoods reminiscent of the mail that might have been worn by the Norman soldiers who conquered Sicily in the Middle Ages.

"Today we are living in a kind of Middle Ages. Like then, we are in a landmark era," the design duo said in a statement during men's fashion week last month in which they also featured Norman knights.

The abundance of furs and the use of reds in the collection, which was attended by model Eva Herzigova and actress Monica Bellucci, also confirmed these as key trends this season in Italy's fashion hub.

An enigmatic press release from the fashion label gave "Enchanted Sicily" as the title of the autumn/winter 2014-2015 collection and offered "Enchantments" "Dreams" and "Romantic" as keywords.

Dolce and Gabbana launched their house in the 1980s and have built it up into one of the world's most recognised brands.

They are currently appealing a conviction for massive tax evasion through Luxembourg, which they have denied.