Monday, July 09, 2012

A FIRST FOR D&G - AND FOR SICILY!

There has been much excitement in the fashion world and even more secrecy over Dolce and Gabbana's first haute couture collection, shown in Taormina's San Domenico Palace Hotel today.  Alas, only very important clients and three media outlets were invited so the details of the collection are not known to other mere mortals as yet. I do hear,though, that "transparency" is big.  [Perhaps a few politicians should take note.] 

This is not, of course, the first time that Sicily has inspired the designer duo and Domenico Dolce hails from Polizzi Generosa [Palermo Province].  In 2009 their "Miss Sicily" bag arrived and is still going strong and Madonna famously played a Sicilian housewife for the photographs of their Spring / Summer 2010 collection.  In addition, the pair are said to have been strongly influenced by the romantic, floaty gowns in Luchino Visconti's film of Il Gattopardo.

The San Domenico Palace Hotel is no stranger to celebrities either and has the honour to be known as the place in which Elizabeth Taylor smashed a guitar over Richard Burton's head.

Ah... a twitter search has revealed that there are some pictures here.

Claudia Cardinale and Burt Lancaster
in the ballroom scene
from Visconti's Il Gattopardo.
Image: Wikipedia Italia



5 comments:

Jenny Woolf said...

How amazingly glamorous it is ! (Not Madonna doing the housework though!) :D

Whispering Walls said...

Not sure about Rigor Monti in plastic trousers...

Gledwood said...

It's funny how a lot of the "top" designers don't even make couture... I'm not sure any of the American ones like Ralph Lauren or Calvin Klein have ever been near it. They say it just doesn't make money and there's such a tiny elite who can afford to dress that way all the time the business is too small. Most people nowadays seem more interested in the label than the garment, which really bemuses me. I don't mind stuff to do with fashion on TV, but most of the clothes themselves are too boring for words. Vogue magazine has to be one of the most boring reads of all time (if you can call it a "read") and clothes shopping has to be the dullest leisure activity ever invented since the world began.

Weekend Yachtsman said...

That is one of my all-time favourite films.

Such atmosphere; such costumes; and, of course, Claudia Cardinale.

* swoons gently under the desk *

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Hi, Jenny. No, I could never imagine her doing it! Haha, WW - I'm just picturing it! Hi, Gleds. Yes, it's a small market, I suppose. The label business gets me, too. Vogue Italia is more interesting! Hi, WY. Yes, a fabulous film. Did you see the recent BBC interview with CC? We got it on BBC World "Hardtalk" here and it's online - or was the last time I looked. A lesson in ageing elegantly!

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