Reviewing a Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda collection is a curious exercise; while fashion shows are typically directed towards editors and buyers, at these weekend-long extravaganzas we play second fiddle to their phenomenally wealthy client base, and the occasions themselves bear more similarity to Disneyland than they do traditional runway settings.

Case in point: upon arrival at the venue for this season’s presentation – a breathtakingly romantic villa situated aside Lake Como’s picturesque vista – there were habit-wearing nuns and mustachioed men serving coupes of champagne, a costumed orchestra and a lawn lit with hundreds of tiny candles.