What is Dolce & Gabbana’s Alta Moda?
Founded in 1985, Dolce & Gabbana is one of the best-known lifestyle brands in the world. Beginning with women’s fashion, D&G went ahead to reinvent men’s fashion, luxury perfumes, cosmetics, leather goods and accessories, eyewear, timepieces, jewelry… basically, anything you can think of to craft a well-lived life.
After so much success, what could Dolce & Gabbana possibly do next? Introducing Dolce & Gabbana’s Alta Moda, the ultimate brand for a luxury lifestyle.
Alta Moda is Dolce & Gabbana’s new brand identity, launched in 2012 to provide the ultimate lifestyle community for the most discerning international clientele. The elite membership has grown to about 1,000 members who gather every year for the Alta Moda Collection Show, an annual event showcasing the most innovative and exciting products in the industry.
Alta Moda: The Early Years
In the beginning, critics doubted that a new couture culture was good business. However, Dolce & Gabbana’s commitment to crafting fashion that is art, and art that is fashion, was a breath of fresh air to a jaded wealthy community. The first show in Taormina Sicily, 2012, saw 80 women gather from all corners of the world, from Qatar to Russia, Germany to the US, attended the first “show”, really a weekend-long immersion course in ultra-luxurious culture. By the end of the weekend, Alta Moda was a smashing success.
Alta Moda 2013 was held in Venice; in 2014 the weekend was hosted on the Isle of Capri. In 2015, the Portofino weekend added a men’s line. However, the line was not limited to clothing. It included bags, hats, shoes, even buttons, that were hand-designed especially for Alta Moda. Now both men and women could outfit themselves entirely for living la vita dolce.
Alta Moda: Beyond Italy
In 2016 Alta Moda left Italy for Hong Kong. The co-ed Dolce & Gabbana show included 58 looks for women and 47 for men. Attendance had grown to 240 members looking for the key to an elegant lifestyle and found it among the elegance and exclusiveness of the Peninsula Hotel.
Alta Moda 2017 attracted 430 lifestyle members to the city of Palermo on Sicily. The ultra-romantic collection wowed clients, including the President of Sicily Rosario Crocetta. Dolce & Gabbana outdid themselves in 2018 with “A Night at the Opera”, with the final show and then dinner staged right on the stage of Turandot. The weekend also included a jewelry show hosted by Srah Jessica Parker and a menswear show with Liza Minelli. By including brands far beyond sartorial lines, Dolce & Gabbana fully established the Alta Moda Collection as an entire lifestyle brand.
Alta Moda Amid the Global Pandemic
The global pandemic stopped many in-person gatherings and Alta Moda was no exception. In response to the threat of a pandemic and the travel restrictions that resulted from that, the next Alta Moda Collection was held virtually. But Dolce & Gabbana did not miss the opportunity to continue their sensational reordering of what it means to be exclusive. The entire collection was able to be accessed, including detailed information and photographs, but only by elite members who had the key to a secret website.
Alta Moda: Back in Person
Alta Moda was back in person in 2021. The weekend was held in Venice, Italy and was attended by a pantheon of stars, including Jennifer Lopez, Doja Cat, Ciara, and Christian Bale. The cast presenting the collection pieces was comprised of the daughters of superstars, including Sean Combs, Monica Bellucci, Christian Bale and Heidi Klum, introducing the next generation of the Alta Moda family. Over 400 ultra-rich members of the Dolce & Gabbana community were there to witness the weekend, featuring a performance of “Nessum Dorma” by Jennifer Hudson.
What can be expected from Alta Moda next year? In that exclusive world where art, fashion and fine living collide, anything can happen. Next year’s event will undoubtedly share more ideas and products that will define how to live your best life.