What with all her many talents and incarnations we could almost overlook Madonna's primary career as a musician. A career that is a triumph of style and substance as demonstrated by how skillfully she has taken on new music genres and new looks... all the while remaining true to herself and her best design allies.

While Madonna's music career has always been an everchanging affair (and has gone from strength to strength for that very reason) but some elements have accompanied it all along. One of these is her longtime collaboration with the designer duo whose main line she has become the face of, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana.

The friendship and professional relationship goes way back and over the past decade the designers' contribution was greater than ever. On tours, on covers and in videos. We might be feeling all excited by the new S/S 2010 images but the sight of Madonna in Dolce and Gabbana's designs is hardly a novelty.

Take the Music era and these exclusive sketches especially thought up for the occasion. In keeping with the mood, fearlessly sexy and unapologetically decked in bling.

Two exclusive sketches designed for Music's Madonna.The marvellously embellished one-off jacket by Dolce & Gabbana which captured just what the album was about.

Further along the styling and tunes became resolutely more lighthearted and retro but yet again the designers' left their mark as seen on occasion of Confessions on a Dancefloor. A logical choice of D&G, their younger, more flirtatious line for a fresh, flirtatious album.

Yet more recently, though before she become the most natural incarnation of the Italian housewife, the collaboration took a very strong and sexy turn first seen in the Hard Candy showcases (three exclusive dates in NYC, London and Paris prior to the Sticky & Sweet tour). This time it was black and the flirtation was most definitely a thing of the past. Corset tops, blouses with just a healthy injection of feminine lace (Madonna does strong very well but never to the expense of femininity), stunning tailored jackets lined in hot pink... Acessorised with the all important throne suit for her Madgesty.

Madonna is Swide's not-so-secret  crush (we go way back) and we cannot get enough of the latest campaign. We never looked this good while doing the dishes...

Source: Swide