July 10, 2017 |
Yesterday evening, a swarm of devoted global clients made the pilgrimage to the capital of Sicily for Dolce & Gabbana’s Alta Moda show, their first return to the island since 2012. Needless to say, it was all very Italian – even by the boys’ standards. Our scene here is a 16th century piazza, a celebration of the classic Sicilian style that forms Dolce & Gabbana’s core and, accordingly, it all began with a word from Mr. Dolce about the importance of family and home ties: “Palermo! For me, it is my life, my memories – my family, my grandmother, my school, my father, my mother – my life”.
This was to be somewhat of a harbinger for what would follow, the first look – a crinolined silk gown – was hand painted with a quote from the novelist Lampedusa, another son of Sicily, which read “everything needs to change, so that everything can stay the same” – an apt motif. The looks paid homage to the island’s rich heritage; Arabic and Spanish influences were seen in the silk crepe prints that clung elegantly to the models body’s, while another series of pieces were inlaid with vibrant orange coral, locally sourced Sciacca, the centre of the island’s jewellery industry.
Highly elaborate pieces, shimmering in gold embroidery and topped with elaborate head pieces looked as though they had been plucked straight from a royal Spanish court, while others had a more contemporary, carnival feel to them (an ode to Sicily’s caretto celebrations) – but all were characterised by the same sense of flamboyant ostentatiousness, which gave the whole occasion a typically Dolce & Gabbana – how do you say je ne sais quoi in Italian?
