Simply Abu Dhabi XXXI

1 4 9 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I the collection. Every suit, shirt, cape and accessory were entirely hand made using the finest techniques known to man. The collection was inspired by the villa’s history. villa Carlotta was built in 1690 for the Marquise Giorgio II Clerici and initially, was known as villa Clerici. But in 1801, the owner became Gian Battista Sommariva, a powerful banker and Napoleonic politician. Sommariva was a candidate for vice president of the northern Republic of Italy but then Napoleon chose Francesco Melzi d’Eril and Sommariva decided to retire from politics. He then restored the villa, adding works of art such as sculptures by Antonio Canova and Bertal Thorwaldsen. After Gian Battista and his sons, the villa was sold to Princess Marianna Sachsen Meiningen who gave it to her daughter Charlotte (Carlotta in Italian) as a wedding gift in 1847 which then became known as villa Carlotta. The collection was inspired by the history of this majestic palace, reflecting periods of tenderness, war, beauty, celebrations and opulence. Hand embroidered tuxedos recall the colourful English garden outside villa Carlotta or jackets of Napoleonic military uniforms (embroidered in gold!), sophisticated sweaters encrusted with crystals and a cape made of ermine like those worn by past Kings were part of this extensive men’s collection that depicts romantic and nostalgic man at his best. To close those three days of celebration of beauty, a private concert by Liam Payne was held at the villa Pliniana, another majestic villa near Como. Here celebrities and clients danced until sunrise, with some guests such as Ashley Graham or the viscountess Emma Weymouth Thynn, sporting the devotion bag, the new, iconic dolce & Gabbana bag.