In the summer of 2025, Dolce & Gabbana showcased its Alta Sartoria men’s couture collection in Rome, presenting one-of-a-kind outfits that highlight the brand’s dedication to handmade craftsmanship. The event took place on the historic Ponte Sant’Angelo, a bridge over the Tiber River adorned with Bernini’s angel statues. Among the attendees was Norwegian footballer Erling Braut Haaland, who wore a distinctive pale grey poloneck and flowing trousers but attracted limited attention at the time.

A year later, Haaland’s presence at the brand’s latest Alta Sartoria show in Taormina, Sicily, generated considerable excitement. The event was held in the ancient Teatro Antico ruins, just days after Norway’s exit from the World Cup following a loss to England in Miami. Haaland appeared on the front row in a double-breasted ivory silk suit, black sunglasses, and blue leather loafers. While not featured in Dolce & Gabbana advertising campaigns or fragrances, Haaland has long been a fan of the designers and a regular invitee to their events.

Dolce & Gabbana has historically embraced footballers, even releasing a photographic book, Calcio, in 2003 that captured Serie A players in the brand’s Sicily-inspired menswear. Despite Haaland’s imposing stature and non-typical “Dolce & Gabbana male” profile—often characterized by smaller, stereotypical Italian style—he represents the couture line’s versatility in adapting the house’s Italian aesthetic to different individual physiques.

The Taormina presentation embraced a distinctly southern Italian theme, reflecting various social tiers in Sicilian society. It began with a reenactment of village life, featuring men in dark brown corduroy suits and waistcoats paired with white shirts and flat caps, and women in black dresses and lace. Opera music accompanied the show, specifically Pietro Mascagni’s 19th-century Cavalleria rusticana, which is set in a Sicilian village during Easter.

Models then emerged in elaborately embroidered velvet garments, including ivory belted smoking jackets, lace shirts, gold-embroidered jackets with matching riding boots, voluminous capes, and frock coat-style long jackets. The color scheme centered on black, white, and gold, complemented by golden jewelry, evoking the attire of historical Sicilian nobility.

Designer Domenico Dolce drew inspiration from his upbringing in Polizzi Generosa, a town near Taormina, where his father’s tailoring atelier served a diverse clientele ranging from local townspeople to wealthy families requiring luxurious fabrics like velvet. Dolce also cites the sharp suits and confident style of local men in the 1960s as formative influences on his approach to menswear.

Together with Stefano Gabbana, the designers emphasize an Italian style that deviates from the industrial north’s more austere tailoring, favoring instead the traditions of southern Italy. Their collections evoke Sunday church attire, formal partywear reminiscent of 19th-century balls, and rustic materials like corduroy and velvet that capture the region’s vibrant blend of sun, sea, superstition, and drama.

Gabbana highlighted Sicily’s rich cultural heritage, shaped by Greek, Roman, Arab, Norman, and Byzantine influences, describing the island as both a place and an idea where “the sacred meets the profane.” The show concluded with a theatrical funeral procession performed by the “townsfolk” around the ancient Greek amphitheater as the sun set over the Ionian Sea.

While the couture pieces carry high price tags and target a select base of affluent clients, the craftsmanship on display reinforces the brand’s narrative and elevates its ready-to-wear collections. Dolce & Gabbana also offer a made-to-measure service for men, enabling customers to commission customized pieces without the full couture process. This approach allows buyers of the brand’s more accessible clothing to tap into the heritage of artisanal tailoring and the distinct Sicilian-inspired aesthetic cultivated by the designers over decades.