From our correspondent – Cagliari
«Alongside the filigree we also wanted the Sardinian votive bread with its traditional shapes that recall nature: the fruit of the work of the earth and of industrious hands like a precious jewel to be preserved», they explain at Courier Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana as the curtain rises on the presentation at Forte Village in Cagliari of the new D&> High Jewelry collection inspired by the ancient, ancestral and precious magic of Sardinia. Among ears of wheat that recall the value of the land and the fruits of the land. And with the music by a global celebrity like the winner of seven Grammy Awards, Christina Aguilera who sang his hits on the eve, from «Genie in a bottle» to «Beautiful».
Jewels that votive bread «Su Cuccoi» makes unique and magical. The spirit of the place, of the island, is entrusted to this bread, a manifestation of Sardinian symbolism, used as a votive offering and symbol of fertility during the festivities. A very light bread, shaped like a sculpture with flowersbirds and natural elements. A bread that it becomes a jewel for the High Jewelry Collection, soaked in resin to stabilize itand then incorporated into necklaces and earrings.
«Sardinia is a land full of precious treasures: culture, folklore, food, natural beauty of this magical place have struck us, and the Sardinian goldsmith tradition, with its filigree, is one of the most fascinating examples – the stylists continue -. We love it because It reminds us of the intricate weaves and lightness of lace and crochet».
And in fact the precious gold filigree of the jewels is worked as if it were lace.. How can we forget that filigree has always been a characterizing element of Dolce & Gabbana jewels. Even if the filigree of the previous collections is above all that of the ancient artisanal knowledge of Campo Ligure. While now the one on the catwalk is the Sardinian filigree, with all its legacy of Arab and Spanish influences. The precious embrace of gold threads, intertwined to form small grains, welcomes Precious gems of generous proportions: up to 700 carats of some unique stones purchased in the rough to transform them into masterpieces of art.
And if Stefano Gabbana loves to imagine parurand drawing from the Maison’s stones and placing them on the sketches, Domenico Dolce loves to bring the exceptionality of precious masterpieces back to everyday life. He is the one who always draws attention to creating wearable, easy to wear dreams.
Tradition, great craftsmanship, creativity but always with an eye on contemporaneity, which perhaps explains why Among the top 50 luxury brands worldwide, Dolce & Gabbana is the one whose value has increased the fastest year on year: «+52% in January 2024, a brand value of 2.07 billion dollars leading Dolce & Gabbana to climb four positions in the Brand Finance Luxury & Premium 50 2024» according to the latest ranking by London-based Brand Finance, a leader in the valuation of intangible assets.
«I think it’s the recognition of years of workyears in which perhaps the Maison was underestimated and I am pleased to see this recognition today”, he explains to Courier Alfonso Dolce, CEO of the Maison founded by Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana in 1985 and which has achieved record results: 1.59 billion (fiscal year 2022/2023). «At the base there is a company that has always believed in sustainability, with great coherence to the entrepreneurial project, beyond the numbers, the results. Ultimately all the production hubs are in Italystarting from the historical one of Legnano».
In Legnano where the jewelry laboratory is located, inside the heart of the fashion house. D&> in addition to being an expression of craftsmanship and attention to human capital as demonstrated by Alta Moda with Alta Gioielleria, is also among the promoters of the sustainable consortium of the Camera della Moda, Re.Crea. «And over the years we have been able to conquer new buyers in addition to the historic ones, a clientele that having overcome the seduction of sportswear now seeks the beautiful and well-made, with transparency and traceability». This is the story of «From the heart to the hands: Dolce&Gabbana», the travel exhibition in the world of D&> at Palazzo Reale in Milan.
The creation of the collection, from the idea of a placea story, a tradition in the name of Italianness, then passes through the first sketches. Only the beginning of a journey in search of the exact nuances imagined by the stylists in the four corners of the world.
Thus the gems are often selected directly from the best local suppliers of each precious stone. Thus for the collection Haute Couture presented in Sardiniathe designers have sought out the rarest and most delicate shades of pink tourmaline in bangkok. Together with the other gfavorite color Ms from the collection inspired by Sardinia, Green Beryllium and Green Paraiba. Diamonds are not missing but only two sets shine with their total light. The real protagonists are the colored gems such as the sumptuous amethysts of a set composed of a necklace, bracelet and earrings. Often cut cabochon, which requires the search for stones of particular intensity and beauty.
And after the High Jewelry, the High Fashion that the designers present in the extraordinary archaeological setting of Nora, among thousand-year-old mosaics and wild nature of a landscape suspended in time. Like the masterpieces of goldsmith art created in Legnano and then worn by the most fascinating women in the world.
