Barely are sunscreens and swimsuits put away in the closet that fashion week is back in service? Not quite. Before the fashion shows for the spring-summer 2022 collections were launched, from September 7, in New York, it was the Italians of Dolce & Gabbana who created the event, from August 28 to 30, in Venice (Italy) .
For the occasion, the duo saw things in a big way, half measures not being part of their vocabulary. For three days, the city of the Doges therefore lived to the rhythm of the Milanese house, which successively presented Casa, its very first colorful line dedicated to the universe of the house, Alta Gioielleria, a collection of high jewelry pieces. , Alta Moda, women’s haute couture line, and, finally, Alta Sartoria, its male equivalent.
If, twice a year, these collections are generally the subject of grandiose and immersive journeys for clients and celebrities – the duo has in the past invested the Metropolitan Opera in New York (United States), the botanical park of the Villa Carlotta overlooking Lake Como, Italy, the Valley of the Temples in Sicily or even La Scala in Milan – the pandemic has forced the brand to adopt, like many, the video format.
“We are very happy to be able to welcome the public again, to find our customers who were able to travel for the occasion. We see this event as a rebirth after lockdowns! “ affirmed the designers, during a press conference organized on the terrace of a hotel, on the edge of the Grand Canal. Nearly 400 guests followed one another during these three days of festivities.
From Saint Mark’s Square for the Alta Moda parade, to the Doge’s Palace for the presentation of fine jewelry pieces, via the Venetian Arsenal for the Alta Sartoria line, the duo have not refused anything. “We thought that having access to Saint Mark’s Square would be impossible! However, city officials have opened the doors wide to us. “ Impossible is not Dolce.
Pieces in Murano glass, Burano lace, woven silks from the Bevilacqua workshops… “We have collaborated with the best workshops in the city”.
An immersion in Venice which allows Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce to work hand in hand with local artisans, and to celebrate the excellence of Italian know-how. “For these collections and the various decorations, we have collaborated with the best workshops and factories in the city and the region. It is a tribute to the greatness of Venice. “ Pieces in Murano glass, Burano lace, chandeliers signed by lighting specialists Barovier & Toso, woven silks from the Bevilacqua workshops, or even meticulous work of mosaics from the Orsoni manufacture. Craftsmen who, for the most part, have worked with Dolce & Gabbana for decades, and have thus contributed to weaving fabrics, making glass shoes, fashioning dresses, capes, perfectly fitting male costumes in precious crystals, or else again the spectacular chandeliers presented in the Casa line.
Dresses embroidered with bridges and gondolas
The museum city and its symbols have also interfered in the haute couture collections: the clock tower is printed on a Georgette crepe dress embroidered with sequins and crystals, the dresses take on the rounded shape of the vases and Murano glasses, the bridges of Venice and the gondolas cover long dresses entirely embroidered by hand… The allure is grandiose, and the spectacle up to the mark.
Upstream of the Alta Moda parade, in front of Saint Mark’s Basilica, under a stormy sky with changing colors, it is indeed a real life-size carnival that the creators offered. More than 150 actors and dancers have thus donned the costumes of Harlequin or the gnaga, this traditional cat mask. American singer Jennifer Hudson performed on stage the Nessun slept, by Puccini. The show continued at the end of the long podium, with the arrival of celebrities one by one, from American singer and actress Jennifer Lopez to Kris Jenner, mother of superstar influencer Kim Kardashian, to actor Vin Diesel. , or British actress Helen Mirren. An eclectic cast.
The designer duo also propelled the new generation of “girls from…” to their catwalk, including Leni Klum, 17, daughter of German model Heidi Klum, or even Deva Cassel, 16, who paraded under the tender eyes of his mother Monica Bellucci. “Everyone thinks haute couture is for seniors, but that’s not true! This new generation of young girls proves it ”, explained in heart the creators. A clever way to address the younger generation of customers – the children of their millionaire customers – that the brand has been courting on social media for several years.
The tourists, surprisingly numerous despite the sanitary restrictions, did not miss a thing: the rehearsals of the various parades were indeed open to the public. A clever way to radiate the power of Dolce & Gabbana beyond the happy few.
