Dolce & Gabbana to bring its Alta Moda show to Saudi Arabia for the first time

One-of-a-kind pieces will be shown in the historic region of AlUla

Dolce & Gabbana is bringing its Alta Moda show to Saudi Arabia this month. Photo: Dolce & Gabbana

Dolce & Gabbana is bringing its lavish Alta Moda, Alta Sartoria and Alta Gioielleria shows to Saudi Arabia for the first time on January 27.

Known for staging large-scale, theatrical events that fuse emotion with high fashion, Dolce & Gabbana has previously shown its Alta Moda collections in a temple in Sicily, the storied houses of Milan and even inside New York's Metropolitan Opera House. Its last outing in August was in Venice's famed St Mark's Square, where the thunderstorms added to the theatrical beauty of the clothes.

This year, the Italian house’s answer to haute couture will be shown in AlUla, as part of AlUla Moments. The three collections – Alta Moda, Alta Sartoria and Alta Gioielleria – represent women’s couture, men’s couture and high jewellery, respectively.

Months in the planning, the couture shows are a twice-yearly event where the designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana give full flight to their imaginations, creating one-of-a-kind pieces of high jewellery. Photo: Dolce & Gabbana

A first for both Saudi Arabia and Dolce & Gabbana, the shows will take place alongside the Ikmah Fashion Cavalry Show, in Jabal Ikmah. The site has been described as an open-air library, thanks to the ancient inscriptions etched into the stones.

Following the equestrian tone of the Ikmah Fashion Cavalry Show, the Dolce & Gabbana event will feature 12 Arabian horses decked out in custom-made dressings in a salute to the region.

After the show, the collection of handmade pieces will go on display inside the mirrored Maraya building in AlUla. Visitors will be able to admire the pieces up close, and customers can have items tailor-fitted by the Dolce & Gabbana atelier, who will be flown into Saudi Arabia especially for the occasion.

The event is part of the wider Winter at Tantora festival, which seeks to highlight the heritage and culture of this region, and will run until Saturday, February 12.