Dolce & Gabbana Hosted a Decadent Opening of its Milanese Exhibition “From the Heart to the Hands"

Entertaining, spectacular, with a limpid curatorial edge, the exhibition reads as an awe-inspiring homage to Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana’s artistry, and to their unabashed love for their country. “It’s impossible to express what I feel; tonight, I am so happy and grateful, “said an emotional Domenico Dolce in his speech before the dinner, held under the frescoed ceiling of Sala delle Cariatidi. “When I arrived in Milan as a young fashion student from Sicily, I fell in love with the city, and prayed the Madonnina (the golden statue of the Madonna that overlooks the city from the Duomo’s spires) to keep me here, and to not send me back to Sicily! She listened to my prayer and here I am, in this beautiful palazzo, surrounded by the women who have inspired our collectsions, and by so many friends, in this city, which I love dearly for all the opportunities it has given us. It brings me so much joy, it’s overwhelming. It’s huge, it’s too huge!”

Stefano Gabbana echoed Dolce’s happiness, highlighting the exhibition’s purpose: “It’s about leaving a legacy to young generations, to inspire them to persevere in the pursuit of their dreams, as we did when we started our company,” he said. “For us, this is a dream come true, and it’s proof that if you believe in what you do, you can make it too.”

The celebrity contingent had all but praises for the designers’ fabulous body of work. Isabella Rossellini, a longtime muse and friends, clad in a chic white brocade pajama and cool flat slippers, made a witty, affectionate speech. “Dolce & Gabbana have been described as one designer with two heads, a sort of ancient mythological creature,” she said. “Together, they’re formidable. They tell the story of Italianità, the Italian spirit—a mix of innocence, sophistication, and audacity. They do it with true artistry, mixing the sacred with the profane, the melancholy with the joyful, the romantic with the sexual”.

Cher, looking sensational in black ripped denims, shaggy furry jacket, and a matching beret holding in place her long black locks, reminisced about her longtime friendship with Stefano and Domenico:” I love what they do because it just fits me beautifully, and it’s daring; they have one foot in history, and the other in the future, they feel what’s coming; they still have the emotion, the dedication. The exhibition is amazing; I didn’t imagine that they had that breadth of work, it took my breath away. Their collectsions are always above level; I still have all their bustiers, all their dresses, and I still wear them.”

Equally appreciative was White Lotus and Then Gentlemen British actor Theo James, one of the brand’s ambassadors, who has just wrapped a movie called The Monkey, inspired by a Stephen King’s horror story and directed by Osgood Perkins. His considerable good looks seem to be on par with a certain fashion eloquence: “I like Dolce & Gabbana’s love of black and white, how they play with structure, and the edge of bespoke tailoring that keeps their style classic. I like classicism in male fashion, for me structure and timelessness are interesting. The exhibition made me understand their legacy, their history; I always knew that clothing could be art, yet I didn’t expect their work to be so artistic and complex; it has depth, it’s not just fashion but something much more expressive.”

“Their style is exquisite and decadent," remarked Lupita Nyong’o, wearing a glittering miniskirt with a matching brassiere over a see-through black leotard. Although she’s prepping for the release of Michael Sarnosky’s thriller A Quiet Place Day One, she wanted to be in Milan to celebrate the designers. “In their collectsions there’s always a story being told, always an homage being paid to Italian artistry, and this exhibition is just bursting with human brilliance, and it feels very personal to them.”

Lily James added her praises to “the beauty and drama of their creation, it’s intoxicating, they celebrate the female form, the sensuality of a woman’s body, they make you feel sexy, and the theatricality of this exhibition blew me away.”

“Many years ago in London, I wore one of their outfits for a premiere, it fitted me so well that I still have it, and our relationship has grown over the years, and now I’m part of their family," said Helen Mirren, wearing a black sequined number that showed off her fabulous figure. Asked about what she liked most in the exhibition, “I don’t know where to start; it’s truly mind-blowing; I wanted to spend hours in every room to look at every single piece and detail. It was like touring an amazing art gallery”, she said. Mirren, who has a house in the South of Italy, appreciated how the designers are “deeply entrenched in the Italian culture, and how they value its craftsmanship. Their dedication really comes from the heart, and it enters our hearts through the hands of their artisans”.

The exhibition will open in Milan from today, April 7, until July 31, and then will tour internationally. Promoted by the Municipality of Milan-Culture, it was produced by Palazzo Reale in partnership with IMG.