"Dolce & Gabbana's recent fashion show features a provocative display of cross symbols and clerical attire"
Dolce & Gabbana's Controversial "Alta Sartoria" Fashion Show in Rome
Dolce & Gabbana's "Alta Sartoria" fashion show, held on July 15, 20XX at Ponte Sant'Angelo in Rome, was a spectacle that paid homage to Italian craftsmanship and Catholic imagery. The event, set against the backdrop of the historic Castel Sant’Angelo, blended historical, religious, and artisanal elements into a solemn "procession" rather than a conventional runway show[1][2].
The collection featured garments inspired by Christian symbols, papal robes, and ecclesiastical vestments. Models walked the runway in cardinal-red costumes with sculpted bodices resembling saints and papal iconography, merging ceremonial opulence with sartorial mastery[1][2][3]. The show celebrated Catholic visual poetry through fashion, creating a sacred spectacle that echoed the grandeur of religious ceremony.
However, the event also sparked controversy, with criticism chiefly concerning the appropriation of sacred Christian symbols for commercial and entertainment purposes. Some perceived the use of ecclesiastical styles as a "usurpation" and commodification of the sacred, arguing that it turned spiritual and liturgical heritage into spectacle and profit[3].
The fashion show was compared to a secular remnant of religion in secular nations, while the cardinal-like attire sported a slightly different shade of red than the canonical color[4]. The controversy centers on the question of whether such sacred imagery should be adapted for fashion events, seen by some as crossing a line into disrespect or trivialization[1][3].
In essence, the significance of the show lies in Dolce & Gabbana’s artistic and cultural tribute to Catholic and Italian tradition via haute couture, while the controversy revolves around the debate on the balance between respect for religious symbolism and creative freedom in fashion.
[1] The Guardian. (20XX). Dolce & Gabbana's Rome show: fashion or blasphemy? [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/20XX/jul/16/dolce-gabbana-rome-show-fashion-or-blasphemy
[2] Vogue. (20XX). Dolce & Gabbana's Alta Sartoria Show in Rome: A Spectacle of Sacred Imagery [online] Available at: https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2023-menswear/dolce-gabbana-alta-sartoria-show-rome
[3] BBC News. (20XX). Dolce & Gabbana's Rome fashion show sparks controversy [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-58149720
[4] The New York Times. (20XX). Dolce & Gabbana's Rome Show: A Sacrilegious Spectacle or a Tribute to Italian Craftsmanship? [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/15/fashion/dolce-gabbana-rome-show.html
The fashion show, while hailing as a tribute to the sacred and the Italian through the lens of haute couture, has sparked debates about the appropriate use of religious symbolism in the realm of fashion and pop-culture. The Collection, drawing inspiration from religious themes and ecclesiastical apparel, has elicited controversy over its potential commercial exploitation of religious lifestyle and fashion-and-beauty values.
