My Weekend At The Alta Moda Fashion Show

Last week I was invited by Dominico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana to Capri, Italy, for their Alta Moda fashion show. This was not just a fashion event – it was an action-packed weekend. The previous Alta Moda collection that I attended two years ago was in Mr. Dolce’s native Sicily – a weekend that included a performance of the opera “Norma” at Taormina’s ancient Greek Theatre – and last year I went to Venice, where we all went to an elaborate masked costume ball. This year’s event was four days. From the moment I landed Thursday at Naples airport everything was organized down to the second. Greeters in Dolce Gabanna shirts met me at the airport and drove me to the Dolce Gabanna boat, which brought me to Capri from Naples. All the guests had rooms reserved at the famous Quasisana Hotel. Upon arrival I received beautiful welcome gifts with a hand written note from Dominico and Stefano Gabanna. That night we all attended a welcome dinner provided by Stefano and Dominico. Friday night we were all taken to a secret location by private boats to see the show. The show was located in a the private island not far from Capri. We all sat on pillows and couches around the rocks of the famous Faraglioni cliff. After the show we had dinner at La Fontelina restaurant on the beach. I was seated next to actress Jeniffer Tilly who loved the collection. The evening’s dress code was “dolce vita in the 1950s and 1960s.” The gorgeous, open-air dinner featured more than 15 dishes passed around family-style. The following day we all had lunch at the house of Dominico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. Each Alta Moda weekend concludes with a riotous party and this one involved dancing on tables strewed with bottles of Dom Pérignon while a band played midcentury Italian favorites as guests took turns at the microphone on stage. Mr. Dolce danced in a shirt and shorts printed with red hot peppers – a good-luck symbol on the island. Mr. Gabbana, wet with perspiration, shimmied and swayed in a pink wig with braids while guests sang every verse of “Volare” in Italian at the top of their lungs. At one point Domenico took to the stage to sing, with Eva Herzigova on tambourine, while Stefano shared his treasured collection of wigs with the men in the audience, egged on by the likes of Ulyana Sergeenko, Anna Dello Russo, Coco, Bianca and, Georgina Brandolini and Giovanna Battaglia. On Sunday it was time to leave and most of the guests – including me – went to St. Tropez for Carol Assher, Gihad Saad, Monoca Baccardi, and Tony Murray’s parties. We will always keep memories of Capri in our hearts.