The Alta Moda story has always played out against the backdrop of the beauty of Italy, as Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana paid homage to the country that has inspired their work. Join us as we take you on the Alta Moda journey for the last decade, and celebrate la bella vita.
2012
The San Domenico Palace in Taormina plays host to the debut of Dolce&Gabbana’s first Alta Moda collection. The delights of a Mediterranean lifestyle inspire 73 looks that are paraded in front of a star-studded audience including Monica Bellucci and Naomi Campbell.
2013
Late January sees Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce return to the city of their beginnings as they present the Alta Moda show in the rooms of the Saloni dell’Alta Moda di Via Senato 19 in Milan. The architecture of the classic Lombardi capital is the inspiration behind the early 2013 Alta Moda collection.
Six months later, the romance of Venice is the backdrop to Dolce&Gabbana’s third collection, unveiled in the Palazzo Barbaro. The masked balls of the city are the theme for 400 guests.
2014
Early January, and the Saloni dell’Alta Moda in Milan is again the backdrop to the fourth Alta Moda collection reveal, inspired by the glory of flowers in the works of Van Gogh, Klimt, Renoir and Manet. Exuberant colour and detail is emblazoned across romantic princess, hourglass and mini dresses.
Later in 2014, La Fontelina beach club in Capri is the perfect location to reveal the fifth Alta Moda collection. Big, billowy hand-painted ballgowns offset with sparkly gems and the yellow and blue of Majolica ceramics bring the setting to vivid life.
2015
Milan’s Teatro alla Scala has hosted some of Italy’s greatest opera singers, and this inspires the designs of the newest Alta Moda collection at the end of January. Italian danseur Roberto Bolle choreographs the runway show, and models display embellished leotards and ballgowns printed with vintage opera posters.
Later the same year, Domenico Dolce opens his private garden in Portofino to debut the 94 looks of the seventh Alta Moda collection in an evening of pure Shakespearean fantasy. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the basis for the collection at Domenico’s Villa San Giovanni, with princesses and fairies taking to the runway.
2016
It’s back to the opera at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan for the early January unveiling of the latest Alta Moda collection. Operatic heroines provide inspiration for the collection, which is also an ode to Giacomo Puccini and his fashion designer granddaughter Biki.
Sophia Loren has long been a muse to Dolce&Gabbana. She is Neapolitan, which is why the label launches the July edition of the Alta Moda collection in her home town of Naples. Signora Loren is seated as the guest of honour as all 30 Alta Moda looks are paraded past her in
a festive atmosphere.
2017
Dolce&Gabbana goes behind the opera curtains into the evocative backstage area of the Teatro alla Scala for the premiere of the 10th Alta Moda collection. The laboratories are set inside the old Anasardo Steelworks, a perfect location for a show inspired by the crafters of Lyric Opera. The island of Sicily has always held a special place in Domenico and Stefano’s hearts. The statues of Piazza Pretoria are the backdrop to a collection of Alta Moda looks drawing on the traditions of Sicilian society.
2018
The majesty of Lake Como speaks for itself. This, along with Alessandro Mansoni’s 19th century novel I Promessi Sposi (The Betrothed), forms the basis for the Alta Moda collection displayed in Parco Teresio Olivelli in Tremezzina. Looks are adapted to suit the models; Eva Herzigová and Naomi Campbell, among others.
2019
The Tempio della Concordia in Agrigento, Sicily, is a well-preserved Doric architectural feat, and in its shadow Dolce&Gabbana pays tribute to the enduring myths of ancient Greece with its July Alta Moda collection. The greatest operatic works of our time are the inspiration behind the Alta Moda collection presented to guests at the end of 2019. Turandot, Madame Butterfly, Tosca, Aida and La Traviata come to life through fashion in the halls of the Teatro alla Scala in Milan.
2020
Hundreds of years ago, Florence supplied silks, spices and luxurious exotic items to European royalty and nobility. What better place to present La Rinascita (The Rebirth), the latest Alta Moda collection, in September? The show is dedicated to Giovan Battista Giorgini, and is set against the Villa Bardini’s massive staircase.
2021
Imagine models arriving on gondolas for Dolce&Gabbana’s new Alta Moda collection show, dressed in fashion inspired by the unique creativity of Venice. The exceptional craftsmanship of this city on the sea forms the basis of the newest collection in the Piazza San Marco.
2022
This Alta Moda collection carries this venerable legacy into the contemporary moment, in celebration of 10 years of Alta Moda. The Piazza del Duomo on the island of Ortigia in Siracusa, and Pietro Mascagni’s operatic masterpiece La Cavalleria Rusticana, are the backdrop to a collection that draws its creativity from the realms of heaven and earth. This is a story about timeless Italian history as much as it is about Dolce&Gabbana.
ALTA GIOIELLERIA AND ALTA OROLOGERIA
The Dolce&Gabbana Alta Gioelleria (2015) and Alta Orologeria (2017) men’s and women’s high jewellery and watches are the ultimate expression of Dolce&Gabbana’s creativity and precision in watches and jewellery. Once again, Dolce&Gabbana aims to preserve and highlight Italian crafts and heritage, embodied by one-of-a-kind pieces of art profiling the artistic excellence of Italian artisans.
This article first appeared in the 2022 annual special edition of YourLuxury Africa.
