Dolce&Gabbana, a Sicilian dream (also) for men

There is a wonderful series of books that allows you to travel – or prepare to travel – around the world without leaving home, ideally accompanied by a Virgil who takes on ever-changing guises. A series comprising around a hundred pages each, dedicated to countries, regions or states (as in the case of *In California with Joan Didion*), and towns and cities both large and small: the journey takes you from Trieste in the footsteps of James Joyce to London with Sherlock Holmes, from Rome thanks to Alberto Sordi to Paris with Marcel Proust. To date, the series – the brainchild of the Giulio Perrone publishing house – comprises around a hundred books, six of which are dedicated to Sicily: they are titled “In Catania with Goliarda Sapienza”, “In Sicily with Andrea Camilleri”, “In Taormina” by Alfio Bonaccorso, “In Sicily with Franco Battiato”, ‘In Sicily with Leonardo Sciascia’ and, last but not least, ‘In Sicily with Dacia Maraini’, published in 2016 as the fifth volume in the series and recently reissued. This wealth of titles – and literary perspectives – strikes us as a fitting metaphor for the difficulties one encounters when attempting to decipher that mosaic of cultures, landscapes, art, legends, myths and culinary treasures that we call Sicily.

Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have been part of this story for over 40 years, ever since they met and founded the Dolce&Gabbana brand. A story made possible by Domenico Dolce’s Sicilian roots and the passion Stefano Gabbana has developed for the island (“Sometimes it seems to me that Stefano is more Sicilian than I am,” Domenico has said on several occasions).

At the Greek Theatre in Taormina, the two fashion designers and entrepreneurs presented further pieces from their highly personal Sicilian mosaic, with one additional detail: it was Taormina itself that had hosted the brand’s first haute couture fashion show, back in 2012.

After 14 years and a ‘grand tour’ of the collections – which had taken place every summer in some of Italy’s most beautiful locations – 2026 saw a return to Taormina: haute couture was showcased amidst the flowers and fragrances of the Radicepura Botanical Park, whilst for haute couture menswear – unique pieces for men – one of the world’s most famous open-air theatres was chosen, a venue that reminds us how Sicily inspired the Greeks to give their very best.

Perhaps not all the foreign guests invited by Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana to Taormina for the two fashion shows and the presentation of other unique pieces of jewellery and timepieces had previously visited the Greek theatre. Or perhaps they had visited it without attending a performance: it will be hard for anyone – journalists included – to forget the lights and sounds of the fashion show, thanks in part to the theatre’s exceptional acoustics. It will be just as hard not to remember the dresses and accessories, which are captivating from a distance and even more so up close, as they are embellished with embroidery, inserts, bespoke tailoring and prints.