Dolce & Gabbana constantly shake the world with extravagant shows and they have now teamed up with Christie's to present their December 2018 Alta Moda couture collection alongside important Old Master paintings and art from the 14th-19th century. The exhibition, Art Adorned, opened to the press and the public on 22nd November to 3rd December and gave a virtual tour of opulent couture garments and jewels paired with decadent art.
Dolce & Gabbana present the couture collections every year at their exclusive event in Italy, where 350 guests who are the creme de la creme, gather for an intimate show with no FROW, to immerse themselves in luxury. The shows are Alta Moda, Alta Sartoria (menswear) and Alta Giaelleria (fine jewellery).
The collection, which was nestled beside high-value and rare 15th-19th century artistry, was an inspired extravaganza. In this exhibition, viewers get up close and personal to see both worlds collide. The art pieces accompanying the collection include paintings, sculptures, and furniture from the Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo eras.
We were able to have an intimate tour with Christie's where the decadence and pairing was explained. As you enter the gallery you are presented with a beautiful graphic silk gown nestled in front of Artemisia Gentileschi's The Triumph of Galatea. This was painted between the 15th-16th century and depicts Galatea riding on a seashell surrounded by Titans. It is clear that the subject within the painting has influenced the delicate design by Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana.
As you make your way further through the halls you are greeted with Baroque-inspired garments; one which strikes the eye is a hand-embroidered, handstitched gown next to a mother of pearl, coral and lapis lazuli altarpiece.
Bernardino Zaganelli's oil painting (15th-16th century) Madonna and Child with Saints Roch and Sebastian, accompanies an Organza Corset Dress. This dress was entirely cross-stitched with the painting of Madonna del Belvedere by Raphael and flowers. The similarities between the two are striking, the detail is also intricate whilst surrounding the art-piece (central to the dress) with vibrant yellow feathers and an ornate headpiece to accompany this truly stunning craftsmanship.
Other key pieces were the organza corset cross-stitched charmeuse dress, embellished with velvet sleeves and piping, that encompasses Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece La Belle Ferroniere, and the splendid Alta Gioielleria haute couture jewellery pieces. One in particular to remember is a pair of earrings in white and yellow gold, encrusted with diamonds and rubellite tourmalines, which are placed near a North Europ Ormolu and crystal glass 19th-century chandelier. The chandelier, which dates back to the 1850s, is bronze, and both the art piece and the collection of Alta Gioielleria jewels display the unbelievable level of craftsmanship, detail, and artistry behind both.
Many of the art and Dolce and Gabbana pieces are available for immediate purchase at Christie's and have received an overwhelming reception since the exhibition launched.
Amjad Rauf, International Head of Masterpiece and Private Sales, Decorative Arts and Sandra Romito, Senior Consultant Old Master Paintings UK, of Christie’s comment: “Art Adorned recognises the enduring influence of Old Master and Decorative Arts works in contemporary life today, connecting with collectors and simultaneously
enabling the work to be even more accessible to new and younger audiences.”