Dolce & Gabbana’s Haute Couture 2022 Brought All the Drama & Elegance

The Italian firm presents in Syracuse the new collection of a project that began in 2012 to offer luxury clothing handcrafted and made to measure, something even more exclusive than its proposals for ready-to-wear.

The designers Dolce & Gabbana celebrated their ten years in Haute Couture at home. They chose Syracuse, more specifically the Duomo square in a display of models, actors and actresses, in a tribute to the classic opera Cavalleria Rustia by Piero Mascagni, which tells of tragic love in the Sicilian town.

Sicily is a special place for Dolce. He was born there. “Syracuse is a special place for us,” Gabbana explained before the fashion show. “It’s in the southernmost part of Sicily, facing Africa. I love the feeling, I love the atmosphere, I love the stones, the colours, the people.”

The show opened with models dressed entirely in black, like elegant novices, and young men in Sunday dresses, also in black.

The first design to appear was a white mini-dress with large cherubs on the shoulders. The little angels were handmade, with petals and mini drapes.

“Alta Moda, for me, is all about surprises,” Gabbana said. “Every time we start a collection, I want to surprise myself. Every time it’s a challenge. I want to say something more. And I’m full of curiosity.”

The collection, with a total of 106 looks, was composed of long black veils falling over brightly coloured chiffon dresses; also suggestive widow’s gowns and black stockings with stitching, headscarves or long transparent gloves. But that was only the starting point. The collection marked other milestones, such as a pink dress with a huge puffed shawl, like a big taffeta cloud, or huge white cherubs on the shoulders of a black dress.

Several outfits with long jackets, short skirts and knee-high boots offered an eighties silhouette (shoulder pads, loose hair, long legs, black stilettos). We are not talking about museum pieces but about sexy clothes, ready to be worn by a small but buoyant public eager for photogenic, luxury and fantasy.

Hints of yellow, lime green, pink, red and orange crept into an otherwise sombre palette. Oversized jacket dresses were laden with gold embroidery, dazzling crystal work or floral appliqués and paired with rhinestone-covered boots or delicate floral tights. A hot pink micro-skirt with a matching cropped jacket shone brightly as the model moved, while another silver dress was fit for a Marvel heroine.

Dolce & Gabbana fashion shows always draw a star-studded crowd, and the Alta Moda presentation in Sicily was no exception.

Mariah Carey brought along her 11-year-old twins, Monroe and Moroccan, while Ciara and Russell Wilson also made the show a family affair. Other big names in attendance included Sharon Stone, Emma Roberts and Heidi Klum, whose daughter Leni strutted down the runway.