Twelve years of Alta Moda. Forty years of history. One city. One heartbeat.
On the ancient stones of the Via Sacra—Rome’s sacred road where centuries of civilization began—Dolce & Gabbana presented The Triumph of Beauty. And triumph it was, not in the overused language of fashion week hyperbole, but in the literal, sacred sense. A procession of craftsmanship, of memory, of Italian magnificence reborn under the weight of its own glory.
Rome, the ultimate stage, didn’t just host the show—it was the show. The past became present in living form: theater troupes, soldiers, vestal virgins, the lyre and the laurel. In the golden hour before dusk, the Roman Forum became not a ruin, but a cathedral of haute couture.
Yet one figure was physically absent—Stefano Gabbana, co-creator of this universe. He didn’t walk the stones of the Forum. But his vision… was everywhere. Every stitch, every silhouette, every reconstructed masterpiece from the past twelve years bore his fingerprint. He followed every moment remotely, in real-time, screen by screen, camera by camera. The artist watched as his altar came to life.
Rome, the Eternal City, became the final canvas. Or rather, a palimpsest—layer upon layer of past Alta Moda collections, reimagined and refined. Echoes from the Du Cœur à la Main exhibition —now in motion, reinterpreted, redefined. For those who remembered each season, it was an emotional experience. You didn’t just see the dresses—you recognized them, as one recognizes an old friend in a crowd.
The collection opened with symbolism: a cardinal red velvet cape, the Capitoline Wolf shimmering in sequins across its skirt. The sacred mother of Rome leading the way. What followed was a symphony of eras. Hand-forged brass corsets evoked Roman armor, their harshness softened by swirls of chiffon and silk. Gowns draped like stolae, padded to mimic marble sculpture—every fold a homage to eternity. Some bore belts etched with Veni Vidi Vici—but there was no conquest here, only devotion.
