A silver Rolls-Royce Phantom glides up to the red-carpeted entrance of Hong Kong’s iconic Peninsula hotel, while the propeller of a private helicopter beats the air overhead.
On an overcast December morning, Asia’s super-rich are arriving for Alta Artigianalità, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana’s first couture show outside their native Italy.
Not only was the show breaking with the duo’s tradition of producing and showcasing all prêt-à-porter and couture collections at home, it also marked the first time Alta Moda (women’s couture) and Alta Sartoria (men’s couture) was sent down the ramp together.
Constantly challenging convention – and the antiquated idea that couture should only be presented in Paris – the designers worked round-the-clock to pull off their stylish coup.
“We decided the show was something we wanted to do when we discussed it over the Halloween weekend,” says a relaxed-looking Gabbana backstage. “So, we had to stop and change production for our January show in Milan, in order to complete this collection.
“The looks are very Oriental in their influence but also completely Dolce & Gabbana – all the codes are there. The history and legacy of the Far East, as well as this hotel, was very important for us to bring out.”
Boasting panoramic views of Victoria Harbour, and dubbed the “Grande Dame of the Far East” by those who frequent it, The Peninsula is one of the city’s oldest hotels, having opened its doors in 1928. Its lobby was given a Technicolor makeover for the D&G event, with an elevated velvet crimson runway fringed with gilded chairs and towering arches of fragrant Andean roses.
Ahead of the 12.30pm show, about 240 VIP clients enjoyed refreshments and exchanged pleasantries with their Hong Kongese, Chinese and Singaporean contemporaries before taking their seats.
Ladies wore densely sequinned Alta Moda evening gowns and full-skirted majolica dresses, accessorised with ornate aquamarine jewellery and styled with halos of flowers.
The men dressed for the occasion, too, opting for Alta Sartoria tuxedos, embroidered jeans and D&G’s pioneering pyjama suits in indigo and ivory.
“When I met some clients in the lobby, I couldn’t believe that they were dressed head-to-toe in our clothes,” says Gabbana. “I was so impressed and, of course, this market is a very important one for us. People from here are buying some of the most expensive pieces from our collections.”
Emphasising their couture credentials and pressing the flesh with big spenders was the name of the game for the Italian designers in Hong Kong. Emerging markets such as China and the Middle East are awash with style-conscious, discerning high-rollers, and these clients are proving key to the perpetuation of maisons worldwide.
Seeming to underline the point, Dolce & Gabbana last month courted the cream of UAE society with private client consultations, and the official opening of their Dubai boutique in Mall of the Emirates.
“Following Hong Kong, why not Dubai next?” says Gabbana about the Alta Moda tradition, which was established in 2012.
“Perhaps this may be the start of a new chapter in the story for us – taking the show abroad. I say, why not?”
Alta Artigianalità show
Dolce & Gabbana’s trusted team of nimble-fingered artisans in Italy perfected 105 looks of exquisite intricacy for the Hong Kong show in a matter of weeks.
The theme was unmistakably Oriental, with ornamental pagoda shoulders detailing glinting column gowns, and traditional Korean-style hanbok dresses cropped and encrusted with pearls.
Female models wore mink stoles, studded with precious stones in decorative Chinese knot formations, and pillbox hats trimmed with tubular deco beads.
Their male counterparts walked the runway in sharply tailored single- and double-breasted suits, brocade jackets with cigarette pants and enveloping fox-fur coats.
Nods to the culture, tradition and superstitions of the region featured prominently throughout, from dragon motifs and cherry blossoms to roosters, in acknowledgement of China’s zodiac animal for 2017.
“There are lots of peacocks and butterflies – many kimono influences, too,” says Gabbana. “Gold is a very important colour in China, just like red – it’s really lucky – and that’s why you’ll see it everywhere in the collection.
“This part of the world is full of history and we chose the Peninsula Hotel because it’s full of history, too.”
Dolce & Gabbana’s ode to The Golden Age of the 1920s was borne out in jewel-encrusted boudoir jackets and caps, sheer overdresses laden with beaded flowers, voluminous jackets, and tea-length gowns.
As with all their previous Alta Moda collections, the designers drew inspiration from the worlds of music and film, peppering the Hong Kong collection with references to Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly, and the 1987 British-Italian biographical movie, The Last Emperor.
Interspersed with regal, reflective cocktail dresses were classic pieces from D&G’s creative vault, including curve-enhancing black lace numbers, draped crepe gowns and corsets ablaze with rubies and yellow sapphires.
“It’s Italian with a touch of China and the Far East,” says Gabbana. “To sum it up, the whole collection is still our DNA, just with a tribute to a certain place.”
Season after season, no expense is spared when it comes to the fabrics, stones, exotic skins and pelts used in Dolce & Gabbana’s Alta Artigianalità offering to the top tier of monied society.
While prices remain a closely guarded secret, clients who acquire the one-off pieces are known to commonly pay hundreds of thousands of dirhams for a hand-finished design.
“Of course, we always use the best for Alta Moda,” says Gabbana. “And it’s funny because sometimes when I’m working on the men’s or women’s pret-a-porter collection, I’ll think: ‘Hmm, that would be good for Alta Moda or Alta Sartoria’.
“Alta Moda takes inspiration from ready-to-wear and vice versa. Pieces can get switched back and forth and completely altered, but at the end of the day it’s still part of one name.”
With their first overseas Alta Artigianalità complete, there was little time for Domenico and Stefano to explore the Pearl of the Orient and the Land of the Dragon.
The pair – who have been in business together for more than 30 years – have a punishing schedule for the next six months.
“Domenico told me one week ago that he wanted to organise another Alta Moda in April in London and I said: ‘No, you really have to wait a bit now’,” says Gabbana with a chuckle.
“Let’s first make it to China and then get to the Caribbean this December to open a store in St Barts. After that we will be showing again in Italy for pret-a-porter in January and February, and then it’s time for Alta Moda again.
“This show has definitely been a challenge, but I’d say that maybe we can add new dates and new places to the calendar next year.”
Post-show
Following Alta Artigianalità on December 2, Dolce & Gabbana hosted a lavish lunch for VIP clients and a handful of representatives from the international press in the trompe l’oeil-ceilinged Salisbury Room of the Peninsula Hotel. On the menu was a three-course gourmet Italian meal served to tables piled high with olive bread rolls, seasonal fruits and winter blooms. For starters, guests dined on a tricolore salad of mozzarella, tomato and basil, followed by roasted sea bass and al dente asparagus. Mini lemon-meringue tartlets and chocolate-dipped candied orange peel rounded off the feast.
Boutique visit
On the afternoon of December 3, the designers made an appearance at their flagship Hong Kong boutique in Alexandra House. Waiters served figs and aged Parmesan to fans wearing the brand’s banana-leaf pyjamas and feather-eared headphones, as they jostled for the perfect selfie with the duo.
Fashion finale
To celebrate the debut of Alta Artigianalità abroad, Dolce & Gabbana hosted a private wrap party at the Ophelia nightclub in Hong Kong’s Wan Chai district. The invitation – with gold writing stamped onto azure silk – signalled an ‘Absolutely Fabulous’ theme and the guests didn’t disappoint. Men donned boldly printed silk Dolce & Gabbana smoking jackets, while ladies wore strapless chinoiserie gowns. Clients posed in pop-up photo booths with peacock-feather fans, while dancers clad in lace bodysuits improvised to tunes from Pharrell Williams until the sun rose over the city.
rduane@thenational.ae