The Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda show last night took place at the Radicepura horticultural park in the hills outside of Taormina, Sicily. There’s a house on the property where Francis Ford Coppola filmed Vito Corleone avenging his mother’s death in The Godfather Part II, but Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana were interested in a much older tale about Sicily – one of gods and mortals, and one of real-life flowers as well.
Dolce & Gabbana's Alta Moda Turns Sicily Into a Mediterranean Fairytale Filled With Flowers
Between the sea and the sky, the Ancient Theatre of Taormina has overlooked Sicily for more than two thousand years. Built during the Greek era and transformed over the centuries, it remains a place where history and imagination come together. Framed by the sparkling Mediterranean Sea and the silhouette of Mount Etna, it stands as a stage where beauty continues to unfold.
The setting: gorgeous Taormina
The show opened with a voiceover that stopped and caught the attention of all the visitors:
"In this story, the goddesses represent the dream. The devotees embody life. The goddesses descend from Olympus. The devotees await them on earth. And it is precisely in the encounter between these two dimensions that the magic of Alta Moda is born."
Dolce & Gabbana have built Alta Moda around Italy since its debut in 2012. Every collection is presented in a different location, with the history, architecture, traditions, and landscapes of each destination becoming part of the experience. Coincidentally, the very first Alta Moda show was also staged in Taormina. Speaking after the presentation, Domenico Dolce reflected on those early years,
"For the first three seasons, we didn't sell one dress. People thought it was a party. But Alta Moda for me is not marketing. It's life. It's amore."
Radicepura Became the Stage for the Collection
This year's presentation took place at Radicepura Botanical Park on Sicily's eastern coast. The gardens already contain hundreds of Mediterranean and international plant species, but for Alta Moda, the landscape was expanded with thousands of additional flowers, including roses, Hydrangeas, Petunias, and many more.
The result completely changed the gardens. Flowers surrounded the audience from every direction, covering beds, pathways, and terraces throughout the venue. Before the show officially began, models were already positioned throughout the gardens. Some stood among the flowers, others sat on antique sofas, while one appeared on a throne entirely covered with flowers. As each model's name was announced through the voiceover – Camilla, Claudia, Anna, Avishag – they slowly began walking through the gardens.
The presentation lasted close to an hour, far longer than a traditional runway show, allowing every look to move through the landscape at its own pace.
Flowers Covered the Garments
Flowers have been part of Alta Moda since the beginning. In 2012, hand-painted floral gowns became one of the defining images of the first collection. Those same dresses were displayed again during this year's Haute Gioielleria presentation at the San Domenico Palace, connecting the latest collection with Alta Moda's origins. This season, flowers appeared almost everywhere.
Flowers taking over haute couture
Some dresses featured hand-painted flowers, while others were covered with embroidered flowers, sculpted roses, lace appliqués, or floral motifs worked into fur using intarsia techniques. Several looks incorporated three-dimensional petals that extended away from the fabric, creating volume across bodices, sleeves, and skirts. One of the most elaborate designs featured dozens of jeweled stamens emerging from a petal-shaped bodice.
Fresh flowers also became part of several looks, appearing in crowns, headpieces, and accessories. Together with the gardens surrounding the runway, they created a continuous floral setting where the flowers growing around the audience were echoed on the couture itself.
One Hundred Alta Moda Looks
The collection included one hundred looks inspired by the show's central story of goddesses and devotees. Black lace dresses referenced Sicilian mourning traditions, while silk gowns, velvet cloaks, and pastel colors recalled historic Italian aristocracy. Large ball gowns featured hand-painted flowers similar to those seen in the 2012 collection, and one pleated silk dress matched the bright blue-green color of the Mediterranean Sea.
Each look moved through the gardens individually, giving guests time to appreciate both the craftsmanship and the setting. The scale of the presentation was remarkable, especially considering that Alta Sartoria would take place the following evening inside Taormina's ancient Greco-Roman theatre, while preparations were already underway for the brand's September ready-to-wear show. During dinner after the presentation, one guest asked Stefano Gabbana how he continued producing projects on such a scale.
His answer was simple:
"It's my passion."
A Night Surrounded by Flowers and the Mediterranean
Jennifer Lopez, Christian Bale, Monica Bellucci, and Léonie Cassel – who opened the show in her runway debut – were among the guests attending the presentation, together with more than 300 Alta Moda clients from around the world.
The evening continued long after the runway ended, but the flowers remained at the center of the experience. They filled Radicepura's gardens, appeared throughout the couture collection, and connected this latest Alta Moda presentation with the house's very first show in Taormina thirteen years ago. Set between the Mediterranean Sea and Mount Etna, the collection showed once again how Dolce & Gabbana continue to use flowers as one of the defining elements of their Alta Moda world.
Photos and videos: @dolcegabbana.
