PARIS – For the primary time of their 40-year historical past, the Italian design duo Dolce & Gabbana are showcasing their work within the French fashion capital. Paris, the birthplace of high fashion, now finds itself internet hosting a robust Italian counterpoint to French luxurious vogue.
The message, as curator Florence Müller places it, is direct: “Sure, Italy does it too.”
The landmark exhibition, Du Coeur a la Predominant (From the Coronary heart to the Hand) operating from Jan. 10 to March 31, is a not solely a love letter to Italian craftsmanship, however to the interconnectedness of vogue. “The story of couture is world,” Müller defined. “Embroidery, lace, brocade — they existed lengthy earlier than Parisian couture, in Italy, in India, and past.”
Unfold throughout 1,200 sq. meters (1,400 sq. yards) of the newly refurbished Grand Palais, the exhibit showcases over 200 seems from the corporate’s Alta Moda and Alta Sartoria collections and 300 handmade equipment, in addition to objects like Sicilian ceramics. It consists of 10 themed rooms that delve into the creative roots of Dolce & Gabbana’s work.
Baroque grandeur defines the gathering, unapologetically maximalist and layered with gildings. Among the many highlights is a robe impressed by Venice’s Murano glass, encrusted with glass mosaics from Orsoni Venezia 1888, the glassmakers behind the golden mosaics of St. Mark’s Basilica. Müller described it as “a sculpture on textile — pure craftsmanship elevated to artwork.”
Opera takes middle stage. A black velvet robe softened by gold gildings captures the drama of Bellini’s Norma, whereas a romantic blue gown for Verdi’s La Traviata flows like an aria, its tulle layers whispering love and loss. In the meantime, icons of the model, resembling Sophia Loren and Naomi Campbell, are immortalized in big work. Classical Italian opera and conventional Sicilian folks melodies present the soundtrack, including layers of drama.
However Du Coeur a la Predominant isn’t just about completed items. 5 actual seamstresses from Dolce & Gabbana’s Milan atelier work dwell throughout the exhibition, crafting bodices, bustiers and corsets earlier than guests’ eyes. “This seamstress is stitching lace to type a gown, whereas one other is draping cloth by hand,” Müller mentioned. “It’s extraordinary. This isn’t simply vogue — it’s artwork.”
Sicily, Domenico Dolce’s birthplace, lies on the coronary heart of the gathering. Conventional Sicilian hand-painted carts, ceramics and lace-making strategies are woven into couture. But the exhibit additionally underscores vogue’s often-ignored world influences.
“Luxurious items and artisans traveled greater than we expect,” Müller mentioned. “The silk and brocades used at Versailles Palace got here from India, and Italian artisans have been employed to craft the Corridor of Mirrors … (Style) is fixed exchanges and inspirations — this exhibit reveals what time forgot.”
Italian and French vogue have lengthy been framed as rivals, with French conglomerates resembling LVMH and Kering and Paris Fashion Week generally considered as the head of the business. However this exhibition challenges that hierarchy, exhibiting that the 2 traditions are extra interconnected than they’re opposed. Each depend on les petites mains — “the little fingers” — the artisans whose precision and keenness elevate couture to artwork.
“The strategies could differ — Sicily’s lace traditions versus Paris’s tailoring — however the soul of couture stays the identical: the human contact,” Müller mentioned. The exhibit reveals the shared ingenuity of French and Italian ateliers, whether or not in a Sicilian workshop or a Parisian salon.
Even past couture, the exhibit highlights the breadth of “Made in Italy.” On a regular basis objects like Smeg fridges and occasional presses given a D&G transforming mirror the ethos of Italian craftsmanship, remodeling useful objects into canvases for artistry.
“Style is artwork. It’s meant to encourage, to dazzle, to make us dream. Whether or not you put on it as soon as or by no means, its worth is in its magnificence, not its practicality,” Müller mentioned.
When requested about hyperbole of the dazzling robes — a lot of which appear unimaginable to put on on the road — she replies with a smile: “So what?”
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