Since the location was so idyllic, few were complaining at the time commitment demanded by this year's four-day event - four because on the last night the whole shebang ended with Ora, a gold-themed party. And many had travelled straight from Valentino´s special couture show in Rome as a continuation of the traditional Paris season.
Both designers weekend in the picture-perfect town of Portofino, which was the epicentre of proceedings. They had installed a Dolce & Gabbana pop-up store in the horseshoe-shaped harbour selling commemorative bags, dresses, polo shirts and even iPhone cases depicting the area. It's the first time I have ever craved a skirt printed like a cheap postcard.
The Alta Moda show was held in a hilltop glade. Guests who didn't have private boats were ferried in to the harbour by a fleet of Rivas (was that Roman Abramovich's floating near a truly massive Philippe Starck designed object? How gorgeous was Camilla Al Fayed's yacht?). Although it was past 8pm at night it was still very hot as their guests climbed the rocky footpath up the hilltop into their jewelled sandals and cocktail dresses, the hike broken by tables of water and lemonade. Those who had ignored the dress code of flat shoes regretted it fairly quickly.
The pair had spent a year landscaping the property in anticipation of these evenings and for the Alta Moda the glade had been transformed into the set of AMidsummer Night's Dream. Pucks performed acrobatics in hoops that hung from the trees above topiary sofas, gourds swayed above like earrings, girls in silver sequinned minis strewed the ground with petals and gladiator sandal-ed youths held arches of flowers.
Three shots sounded the start of a show of a staggering 96 outfits that spanned the seasons and offered the whole canon of the pair's favoured styles. Empire-line gowns in debutante organzas were followed by velvet-trimmed brocade trouser suits with cigarette pants. Massive ball gowns with crystal corseted bustiers above their voluminous skirts celebrated the flowers of Italy as opposed to last year's fruits of Capri. Since these clothes are being ordered for winter there was a large amount of fur and skins - a patchwork fur shawl of many colours, a cowhide jacket trimmed with white fur cuffs, opera coats paired with drapes of sable. And there were the many mid-calf lace and satin cocktail dresses - beloved of the pair - decorated with crystals and intricate embroidery and topped with feathered headdresses or tiaras.
At times the direct referencing of global styles had a touch of the Disney-world to it but the Asian models swathed in chinoiserie-print silk wielding parasols were also a demonstration of the pair's exuberant imagination. Should one ever consider the display closer to costume than fashion you had only to glance at the numbers of clients present throughout the weekend thoroughly delighted to join in Stefano and Domenico's love of the theatrical and buy the wardrobe - a fact verified by the amount of space in Milan now dedicated to the couture workshops.
Dinner followed under golden palm lights where Coco Brandolino, the house ambassador, was that night's Titania holding court among the glittering tables before trays of butterflies were released to flutter around as we dined.
The next night's Alta Sartoria was a less formal affair held on the terraced side of the hill where oleanders and plumbago, cyprus and bougainvillea had been planted only recently. A big band played schmaltzy Italian tunes as the audience, once more after a substantial hike, sat at small tables to watch the parade of models who weaved around the audience. The Alta Sartoria men had side-parted slicked-down hair and thick-rimmed spectacles. They favour kimono-style jackets with pyjama trousers as an alternative to wide-shoulder, double-breasted suiting with slim-cut pants. They are not afraid of colour - a fuchsia satin dressing gown coat or baby blue rhinestone suiting, for example. Their menswear is a combination of exquisite cut and camp experimentation such as the Scout look of alligator shorts and short-sleeved shirt and a selection of enveloping kaftans.
After the show, fuelled by Dom Pérignon and martinis, dancing broke out until dawn and the illuminated castello and the pair's specially installed illuminations of the town could be seen around the coast till daybreak. Twenty fours later, restored by swimming in the Med, guests were boated to Covo, the harbour-side nightclub haunt of Eighties grandees from Grace Jones to Gianni Agnelli. Kylie took to the stage to perform to a crowd in gold Dolce & Gabanna dresses, skirts, tunics, hot pants and evening gowns (and that was primarily the women) - a high-voltage end to a weekend few of the lucky guests will get out of our head.
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