“Puglia is Dolce&Gabbana and Dolce&Gabbana is Puglia”.
Thus begins the Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren, always enchanted by the Apulian scenery, during the welcome reserved for guests at the opening party of the event dedicated to Italian excellence that Dolce&Gabbana organized in Borgo Egnazia – Savelletri di Fasano – for those who have come from all over the world to admire their new collection in the heart of the Itria Valley.
Puglia captured the imagination of the two creative geniuses with the same avalanche of love they felt in Venice, Capri, Syracuse and all the other places on their Grand Tour. From July 7th to 11th 2023, the enchanting landscapes and Unesco monuments of the Itria Valley were the stage for the extraordinary #DGFattoAMano creations and traditional crafts of #MadeInItaly.
During the press conference at the Apulia Region, it was stressed how “Dolce and Gabbana loves Italy, works for Italy and in Italy and for the excellence of Italian spirit, loves Italian craftsmanship inspired by its roots, creating a product that is a soul, that soul that represents the beautiful, the “well made” of all the intelligence that every Italian puts into everything is creating. Apulia has been a land of great inspiration for its history, such as that of olive trees for example, a centuries-old history of strong roots supporting this precious plant. An area rich in culture and sacrifices made by honest and hardworking people“.
The tour began on Friday, July 7, with a welcome cocktail at Borgo Egnazia in Fasano and continued on Saturday, July 8, in the olive grove of Masseria Pettolecchia, where the creations of Alta Gioielleria were presented. This was followed on Sunday, July 9, in Alberobello for the presentation of Alta Moda (women’s collection) and on July 10 in Valle d’Itria in Ostuni for Alta Sartoria (men’s collection); then on Tuesday, July 11, there was a final party within the armored walls of the masseria San Domenico.
Dolce&Gabbana 2023, Alta Moda
Women’s haute couture creations, true art dresses, come alive in the natural setting of Alberobello‘s trulli. And it’s pure enchantment. The sublime magic of yesteryear traditions comes back to life in the winding alleys where centuries-old volumes are repeated, inspiring the two brilliant designers in the distinctive headdresses that recall trulli roofs, in the precious laces and Apulian colors.
The collection is often a tribute to the place that houses the brand; for example, the long silk satin cape, like a black-and-white postcard, reproduces glimpses of Alberobello’s alleyways and was made with the inlay technique, in which more than fifty shades of whites, grays and beiges are juxtaposed, which with lurex fabrics and black create relief and depth. For us users, it’s pure emotion, a moving vibration that emanates and radiates from a land that belongs to us, narrated by the sensitivity of Italian art in all its facets.
“It’s going to be magic” Francesco Mantella, Head of Brand Events Department at Dolce&Gabbana, anticipated me, whom I thank and congratulate for the sublime and profound enchantment he managed to achieve in this absolutely unique setting that exalts Italian excellence.
A success achieved also thanks to the wonderful illuminations that reproduce the lace of the fashion show outfits and thanks to some references to everyday life, such as the goat, the donkey, the olive trees, the crochet, the women intent on embroidery perpetuating ancient knowledge in a sublime narration of centuries. This sacredness of traditions continued in Ostuni, where the vibrant noble elegance of the “parade” dedicated to St. Oronzo attended the show.
Dolce&Gabbana 2023, Alta Sartoria
The President of the Municipal Council of Ostuni Valentina Palmisano, who attended the evening fashion show with Mayor Angelo Pomes and to the generale test with Mario Liberali (art curator) and Maurizio Boscheri (painter artist), members of the cultural association @le_sempiterne, has repeatedly thanked on behalf of the city administration the designers Dolce&Gabbana for presenting men’s haute couture in Piazza della Libertà, where the column dedicated to Sant’Oronzo, patron or of the city, is located.
Valentina Palmisano pointed out that Dolce&Gabbana brand chose this location because it was suitable for an exclusive event to intertwine the interpretation of haute couture with the traditions of the area, enhancing its excellence, such as the “liquid gold” (the olive oil) and the horses parade. The fashion show was like wrapped around the column dedicated to the saint; the models passed right around it thus recognizing him as a tribute.
The Cavalcata of St. Oronzo, a very important historical celebration that has been perpetuated for centuries, opened the event. The magnificent dark-colored specimens with shiny coats allowed those present to admire their purple and gold vestments embellished with embroidery and broderies. The colors of the ride inspired some of the clothes in the men’s collection that sparkle amidst the precious laces of the Apulian tradition created with such dedication, a gesture in technique passed down from mother to daughter.
The carving technique, made for the tablecloths of yesteryear, inspired some outerwear created entirely by hand with pure cotton thread and the art of crochet, passed down from generation to generation, has resulted in a handcrafted masterpiece, in which millions of chains intertwine, delicately illuminated by crystals inserted one by one.
The clothes are combined with important jewels, such as golden crosses in which the ancient tradition is echoed.
Dolce&Gabbana in Puglia involved an entire community in a unique and unrepeatable event, men, women and children of all ages working in ‘unison to showcase our Italian excellence and thus make it known and appreciated in the world.
Simona Fontana
