This past weekend, the Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana staged a multi-day extravaganza to début its latest Alta Moda line—over-the-top, one-off sartorial creations that are presented biannually in a series of lavish runway shows and then readily snapped up by attending members of the international monied set. Since the first collection was introduced, in 2012, Alta Moda events have taken place mostly in Italy. (In 2015, Rebecca Mead wrote about a Dante-, Homer-, and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”-themed iteration in Portofino.) This time, the designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana decided to stage the festivities in New York, where they were joined by hundreds of clients—from such places as the Middle East, South America, Russia, and, perhaps most prominently, China—who were prepared to spend a king’s ransom for a piece of Dolce & Gabbana’s sequin-encrusted fantasy.
The celebration began on Friday, with a presentation of Alta Gioielleria, or fine jewelry, at the main branch of the New York Public Library, a collection which included a large diamond-and-emerald lapel pin in the shape of a dollar sign. Guests decked out in dramatic headpieces and glittery bustiers dined on roast veal and risotto Milanese, and sat for a charity auction led by Sarah Jessica Parker, who modelled the gem-studded earrings, bracelet, and necklace that were up for grabs. After a slightly frenzied bidding war, those items were snagged for a little over half a million dollars by the Newport Beach, California-based entrepreneur Rob Arnott, who bought the wares for his blonde, tiara-wearing wife, Marina—a purchase that they sealed with a vigorous kiss for the cameras.
The spectacle continued on Saturday with a show of menswear, or Alta Sartoria, at the Rainbow Room, featuring a performance by Liza Minnelli. At Sunday’s grand finale, a presentation of the women’s Alta Moda collection at the Metropolitan Opera, models including Karlie Kloss, who opened the show in the guise of a plumed bird, with a flame-colored feathered dress and a towering headpiece, sported garments that were said to be inspired by the “energy” of New York. The New Yorker staff photographer Pari Dukovic was there to capture candid moments from the Alta Gioielleria and the Alta Moda presentation, which included a spectacular display of fireworks around the Lincoln Center fountain and a dinner on the Met opera stage amid the set of Franco Zeffirelli’s production of “Turandot.” What these photos reveal is a world of opulence beyond opulence, where no material desire is too far-fetched, and where guests who own a thick slice of the world’s pie can feel right at home with their equally deep-pocketed peers.
Sarah Jessica Parker modelled the necklace, earrings, and bracelet to be auctioned for charity, alongside the Christie’s auctioneer Adrien Meyer.
High bidders: the Newport Beach, California, couple who spent more than half a million dollars at the charity auction.
The model Naomi Campbell closed the Alta Moda show in a Times Square-inspired ball skirt and a satin bustier.
A model at the Alta Moda show.
The model Karlie Kloss opened the Alta Moda show in a feathered gown and headpiece.
Dinner on the Met’s stage, with the set from Zeffirelli’s production of “Turandot.”
Gold-embroidered linens complement a client’s gem-encrusted sleeve.
A client’s tall comb and mantilla blend in with the centrepiece.
Waiters—some of them professional models—serve dinner after the Alta Gioilleria reception at the library.
Items from the Alta Gioielleria line, including a necklace featuring diamonds, pearls, and a trio of Bengal cats.
The actress Isabella Rossellini quoted Emma Lazarus in introductory remarks before the show.
A client at the charity auction after the Alta Gioielleria dinner, to benefit the New York City Ballet and Roc United.
Metropolitan Opera ushers received a protocol briefing before the Alta Moda show.
After dinner at the Met, the Grand Tier became a bazaar, as guests examined the Alta Moda bags and accessories.
Weeping tulips, sequins, gold flatware, and cell phones.
A client from Hong Kong tries on an Alta Moda gown in a dressing room after the show.
Enormous, hand-painted prop books lay open on tables at the New York Public Library’s Astor Hall, at the presentation of Dolce & Gabbana’s Alta Gioielleria, or fine jewelry, line.
A finale of fireworks around the Lincoln Center fountain, after the Alta Moda show.
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