Dolce & Gabbana's 'Du Coeur à la Main' conquers Paris

Dolce & Gabbana has never held a fashion show in Paris, but it looks set to take the city by storm in the next two months, thanks to its “Du Coeur à La Main” exhibition.

Opened on Thursday in the most beautiful exhibition space in the world, the Grand Palais, this sensational exhibition runs through 11 rooms, just like its theme. Du Coeur à la Main, which means “From the heart to the hand”, is entirely dedicated to the last 12 years of Dolce & Gabbana's career when they launched into Alta Moda, the Italian term for haute couture.

With more than 200 exclusive men's fashion looks from Alta Moda and Alta Sartoria; 300 handmade accessories and 230 pieces of furniture and decoration, it is an open love letter to Italian culture and artisans, the sources of Dolce & Gabbana's creativity.

Since making their Alta Moda debut in 2012, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have traveled throughout the peninsula performing in Italy's big cities and historic sites: from their inaugural show in a Roman amphitheater in Taormina to a Grand Canal palace in Venice, Renaissance villa in Florence or ancient Greek temple of Agrigento in Sicily.

At each stop, work with local artisans, best exemplified by a room dedicated to the art and craft of glass making, with Venetian mirrors, chandeliers and glass-embroidered silver garments, featuring the brilliance of Barovier & Toso, a family artisan business in the lagoon dating back to the year 1295. Where else but in Italy does tradition have such deep roots?

The duo have big rivals in couture, although when it comes to men's couture, they take the heavyweight crown, thanks to their perfectionist tailoring, sense of whimsy, unique embroidery and uncanny sense of artful juxtaposition. Like putting on a James Bond-inspired show in the old Castel dell'Ovo in Naples. Called Egg Castle, because the Roman poet Virgil is said to have placed an egg in the foundations of this fortress, located where the founders of Naples, the Greek settlers of Magna Graecia, first built a fortress.

Presented in a section titled “Architectural and Pictorial,” the majority of it is menswear, where the intricate construction of coats, suits and capes contrasts with striking embellishments. Works by Raphael, Titian, Botticelli, Piero della Francesca and Annibale Carracci's legendary fresco cycle from Rome's Palazzo Farnese flourish on military coats, corset dresses and large capes.

Throughout, there is an encounter with other artists, the most moving being the great Spanish-Vietnamese artist of French origin Anh Duong in the opening room, titled “Handmade.” Encapsulating many of Dolce & Gabbana's inspirations: baroque, Renaissance, Sicily and religion mixed with sizzling sensuality. Famous for her self-portraits, Duong followed the duo to their Alta Moda shows, wearing looks from each collection in the same places that inspired them. Before painting fantastic images of herself in her creations: a Greek goddess in the temple of Agrigento; a Ghirlandaio princess breastfeeding her baby or wearing a stunning Gattopardo dress at the Palazzo Gangi in Palermo.

“It became a wonderful trip through Italy, where in each city I discovered the most magical museums, buildings and people,” reflected Duong, who stars in all the portraits except one of Naomi Campbell, as a fantasy courtesan in the latest bodice fantasy with feathers. dress.

All Dolce & Gabbana shows open with the theme song from “Il Gattopardo,” Luchino Visconti's masterpiece about the Sicilian aristocracy going through the political upheavals of Garibaldi and the Italian Risorgimento. The duo even dedicates an entire room to it, starring Duong's dress and a recreation of the famous Hall of Mirrors at Palazzo Gangi, where the film's masterful wedding dance takes place. All interspersed with clips from the film. Starring the most beautiful couple in Italian cinema: Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale.

At the entrance to Du Coeur à la Main, a large cube of screens projects a video by artist Felice Limosani titled “The Hands of Humanity,” hands gesturing like messengers suggesting the universal language of truth. One of four video artists whose work advertises the exhibition.

“Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have managed to make this dream come true because they are among the few designers who are at the same time founders and owners of their fashion house and, therefore, free to do what they want,” stressed the curator of the exhibition, Florence Müller.

These two gentlemen are famous for their liberating and daring corsetry for sexy Sicilian widows. Instead, this exhibition features dozens of much more gloomy figures, their heads wrapped in black veils, mangoes holding candles, and Gregorian chant on the soundtrack. Standing in a row in a hallway leading to an atelier, where a half-dozen seamstresses, embroiderers and tailors work quietly creating the super-baroque couture whims that are at the heart of this duo's DNA.

Delicate and intricate art seen in other rooms dedicated to themes such as Opera, Divinity and Divine Mosaics. In an exhibition of seductive contrasts from Devotion, a black and gold mock altar with seductive bishops, mischievous nuns and giant sacred hearts inspired by woodwork contrapposto figures from the 17th and 18th centuries. Next, a white baroque space with dresses and breastplates sculpted in exceptional stucco work.

“What I love about this exhibition is that they invited us. They called us and said 'come to Paris,' which we loved,” Domenico smiled as he walked through the exhibition, accepting praise.

While Stefano, when asked how he felt about exhibiting at the Grand Palais, responded: “I feel really very honored and tonight I feel very proud to be Italian.”

Sicilian-born Dolce and Milan-born Gabbana opened their house in 1985, earning critical acclaim for its combination of Italian film style and Sicilian fantasy. Commercial success and explosive growth followed, as they became the bad boys of Milan, probably best known for their sexy slip dresses.

Exceeding $1 billion in sales, before taking a sudden turn in the last decade. Abandoning his youth-oriented D&G collection and moving his house and concept to the Italian haute couture market.

Du Coeur à la Main was originally performed to a packed audience at Milan's Palazzo Reale last year. This edition in Paris will last until March 31. It is an unmissable event for any true fashionista.

In a very real sense, Domenico and Stefano have long dreamed of being on par with big Parisian brands like Chanel, Schiaparelli, Balenciaga and Dior. This exhibition will secure them a place in the Pantheon of the truly greatest designers.

During the opening, before the false altar of the “Devotion” section, a fan told Domenico that the exhibition had enshrined Dolce & Gabbana in the firmament of designers. Which made Domenico laugh and say: “You mean we have become one of the great heroes of fashion. That's good, the only problem is that that would mean we're dead!