For Fall/Winter 26, against the ancient theatre of Taormina, Dolce & Gabbana transformed Cavalleria rusticana into a hundred-look Alta Sartoria spectacle of aristocratic elegance, religious ritual and old-world Sicilian splendour. EE72 Fashion Critic Anders Christian Madsen reviews the show.
On Tuesday evening in Sicily, black cars processed through the winding streets of Taormina until they reached the walkway to the town’s ancient Greektheatre. Locals and tourists lined up to capture the wild and wonderful outfits of Dolce & Gabbana’s haute couture clients as they poured out of their cars, while the passionate and cinematic tones of Cavalleria rusticana swelled in the distance. The great Sicilian opera – written by Giovanni Verga and composed by Pietro Mascagni – provided the plot for an Alta Sartoria show that embodied Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana’s love of Sicilian culture.
Backdropped by the volcanic hills of Sicily, the theatre was transformed into a late-19th-century piazza where actors portraying the aristocratici and poverini hugged, fought and waited for the show to begin. Two men portraying the duelling protagonists of the story entered the scene and sat down across from one another, creating a runway of tension between them. As the tenor voices of Cavalleria rusticana resounded through the theatre, the Alta Sartoria show unfolded in a hundred looks inspired by the noble elegance and popular traditions of old-world Sicily.
The great Sicilian opera [Cavalleria rusticana] – written by Giovanni Verga and composed by Pietro Mascagni – provided the plot for an Alta Sartoria show that embodied Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana’s love of Sicilian culture.
ANDERS CHRISTIAN MADSEN
Set in a Sicilian village at Easter, Cavalleria rusticana follows a man who resumes an affair with a married woman, betraying another woman and provoking the husband’s revenge. Against church bells, village rituals and the watchful eyes of the piazza, the affair becomes a matter of honour. The men duel, and the festive atmosphere turns to mourning, capturing the opera’s portrait of Sicilian passion, power, religion and fate. As a premise for an Alta Sartoria collection – Dolce & Gabbana’s men’s haute couture offering – it had all the drama, pride and personality embodied by the brand’s extravagant male clients.
Capes, frock coats, tailcoats and smoking jackets played aristocratic elegance against Sicilian tradition. In black and white – with dramatic punches of gold, burgundy and red – detachable collars, lace, brocade, crystals and sacred embroideries transformed shirts, waistcoats and trousers through the mind-bending craftsmanship of Alta Sartoria. As euphoric clouds of incense filled the theatre, the show finished with a full religious Easter procession before the models lined the steps of the piazza in an epic group formation. When the show was over, they descended upon Erling Haaland – everybody’s favourite Instagram Viking – who was able to make it to the show after Norway exited the World Cup on Saturday.
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