Each summer the world’s uber rich descended on the picturesque seaside town of Portofino Italy for Dolce & Gabbana’s Alta Moda show, the ultimate surreal couture fantasy of the season. Where Dolce & Gabbana invites 300 billionaires plus a handful of millionaires to four days of fashion parties held at their private adjacent cliff side villas.
Speaking with a colleague in attendance that asked to remain anonymous, invitations to this men and women couture event held twice yearly are for their very exclusive clients. You won’t see reality celebrities on the guest list or many images on social media as the very wealthy value their privacy as much as their fortunes.
What I can tell you is that the silhouettes each evening was true to Dolce & Gabbana form, from sensual A-line dresses to stylist tunics.
Flowing gowns were like Italian paintings from the ceiling of a cathedral, rich in color as with old world masterpieces. Embroidery and colored crystals abound on skirts; for this is what women live for.
Colored feathers were everywhere, from headpieces and jackets to skirts. Each outfit is an original piece, never duplicated and never to be seen again once sold.
The ambiance of each evening was more like a family get together rather than your typical runway fashion show, which allows the designers to engage directly with their clientele. From Russian billionaires to Middle East royalty and China’s burgeoning wealthy class, they all came for Italy's very best.
For the Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda couture show is where the dreams and fantasies of the one percent do come true.
Edward Quan
With a background as a European luxury fashion buyer and a keen eye for current style trends, Edward Quan lives and breathes high fashion. Working with the most exclusive designer brands across Europe has given him a unique insider perspective on how fashion, past and present, touches our lives.
Be it art, music, cinema or architecture, Edward Quan explores the intersections between high culture and designer fashion. From the style capitals of the globe, he delivers exceptional stories on displaying personal style while traveling well and covers the best in luxury hotels and resorts, fine food and wine and of course shopping.
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