BEHIND THE STITCH: ALANI
June 21, 2024
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On July 15, Dolce & Gabbana presented Alta Sartoria 2025 at Castel Sant’Angelo and the Ponte Sant’Angelo. The men’s couture show closed the brand’s five-day Alta Moda celebration in Rome, transforming the ancient fortress into a meticulous homage to Catholic vestments and Italian sovereignty.
The collection explored religious iconography through a refined runway narrative. Opening looks included capes embroidered with imagery of the 1903 conclave, followed by starched linen tunics reminiscent of surplices, satin trousers in cardinal hues, and tailored double-breasted suits adorned with jeweled crosses. The designs mirrored papal robes, marble bust motifs, and mitre-inspired sequined tabards, which were all painstakingly reimagined in modern fabrics with monumental texture and religious poetry.
Couture included brass-embellished breastplates, gem-forged bodices sculpted to resemble Saint Peter’s face, and intricate fabrics fashioned from antique altar cloths and jacquard embroidery.
Though religious imagery can be polarizing, the designers approached the theme with respect rather than theatrical provocation. Don Alberto Rocca, a close friend and priest, affirmed the spiritual sincerity: “It’s about the spirit—not mocking—and I would not have been there otherwise” [Vogue].
The experience culminated in a fiery 13-minute finale. As models assembled on Ponte Sant’Angelo, fireworks danced over the Tiber, and Domenico Dolce took his bow beneath the illuminated castle.
