I have wanted a day out in Paris since we moved to France, so when I saw the Dolce & Gabbana exhibition advertised, I had the perfect reason to finally book a trip. My friend, Carolyn, drove us to Poitiers station where we caught the fast train to Montparnasse, Paris. Door to door in under 3 hours! It was a really cold, bleak, grey day but I had forgotten how beautiful Paris really is and the atmosphere and architecture as we strolled through the streets. To own a Paris apartment with the obligatory balcony would be a dream!

The Grand Palais was the perfect venue for the` Du Cœur à la Main’ exhibition. We really did enter another world of opulence, magic and fantasy!

It’s 40 years ago since the first Dolce & Gabbana woman’s collection debuted at the Milan Fashion week after they met each other in 1982 while both working for an Italian fashion brand Giorgio Corregiari. Dolce & Gabbana’s iconic “Sicilian Dress” debuted in 1987. Based on a slip dress, this figure hugging timeless piece became a symbol of Dolce and Gabanna’s dedication to the female form. Different versions still feature in their collection and below is from S/S 2025.

In 2012, Dolce & Gabbana launched their Alta Moda line, a couture collection that brought their creative vision to unparalleled heights. Not just pure luxury but about celebrating Italian craftsmanship and artistry. These collections featured hand-painted fabrics, intricate embroidery, and designs that often drew from Italian history and folklore.

The Italian heritage was in abundance as we walked through the many themed rooms exhibiting over 200 couture pieces plus accessories devoted to Luchino Visconti’s The Leopard (1963), ancient Rome, opera, glassware and much more.

We entered the first room ‘Fait Main’.

To be able to view close up the couture collections of Domencio Dolce and Stefano Gabbanna was amazing and virtually impossible to capture in photos. Their exceptional inspiration, imagination and creativity and the intricate hand crafted pieces were exquisite. Their Sicilian backgrounds marrying tradition with innovation.

The ‘Architectural et Pictural’ room showcased hand painted silks. The atmosphere changed with moving images, ‘ live wallpaper’.

We felt guilty walking on the stunning hand painted ceramic tiles by the Bevilacqua brothers in the ‘traditions siciliennes’ room. Their work was dominated with bright yellow, intense blue, emerald green and deep black, representing the Sicilian sun, sea, hills and lava on Mount Etna.

How about one of a hundred exclusive Smeg fridges? And we couldn’t ignore the shoes and handbags!

We moved through to the ‘Rêve de divinités .’

The ‘Divines mosaïques’ room was incredible.

How about a mink sweater?

The ‘Baroque Blanc’ room felt calm and ethereal.

‘Ateliers, ornements et volumes’ room showed where art becomes fashion and a selection of black dresses currently being developed. For Dolce & Gabbana black is a key colour, the essence of purity for a woman and a traditional colour worn by working class women in Italy. One hundred and twenty people work on the creations at the Milan headquarters. Working with new technology but also reviving time honoured tradition such as cross stich embroidery.

‘The room ‘Dévotion’, was true and dramatic Dolce and Gabbana full of black lace and gold pieces.

Through ‘Le Guépard’ inspired room,

and then the world of ‘Opéra’

I have to say, my personal favourite was ‘l’art et savoir faire du verre’. Simply wow! Ornate crystal pieces embellished with flowers and mosaics in a room full of crystal chandeliers (I would think Murano), mirrors and background sound effects of breaking glass! Unapologetic excess.

Congratulations to the curator of the exhibition historian Florence Müller, as the attention to detail not just with the presentation of the pieces but to the atmosphere of each room was stunning. In a recent interview about the exhibition she said ‘What fascinated me was examining the clothes up close, observing all the intricate tailoring work and their sophisticated structure. Then, delving into the research on fabrics, colours, and embellishments that draw upon various crafts, from appliqué embroidery to glass embroidery.’

Refreshingly, Dolce and Gabbana have not sold their brand to the luxury conglomerates LVMH, Richemont etc. They own 40% each and the remaining 20% owned by the Dolce family. This ensures the brand stays true to its Italian roots.

Back outside and to the reality of the world, we wandered back to the station stopping for coffee and discussing our next fabulous trip to Paris.