On Monday evening in Puglia, the white city of Ostuni played host to Dolce and Gabbana’s highest form of menswear, Alta Sartoria. The couture-level show was staged in the town square where the designers had orchestrated a special edition of the Cavalcata di Sant’Oronzo, a colourful procession of uniformed horses and guards that normally takes place in August. “The community organised it for all the audiences,” Domenico Dolce said. The collection focused on the Corredo: the bridal kits in white lace and embroideries that mothers in southern regions of Italy – Puglia included – traditionally begin to craft for their daughters from the day they’re born. “It’s passed down generationally. It’s a piece of history in your clothes,” Stefano Gabbana explained. “We wanted to do something like this for women but decided it was more interesting to do this very female craft on men’s clothes.” The designers had scoured second-hand stores and private suppliers from Naples to Sicily to gather enough antique bridal cloths to create their collection. “Today it’s impossible to remake this. This tradition unfortunately is disappearing a little bit,” Gabbana said. They transformed them into delicate tailoring, shirts and robes, the white ornamentation of which eventually transitioned into 3D-printed harnesses echoing the Grottaglie ceramics native to Puglia. After the show – which marked day four of Dolce and Gabbana’s annual Alta Moda event – private clients and guests including Joel Edgerton, Casey Affleck and James Marsden gathered at the Cala Maka Beach Club for a dinner of local delicacies and wines.
Photography courtesy of Dolce and Gabbana.
