Dolce & Gabbana has built itself a hotel for the holidays. It is red — and has a bit of a secret.
The house’s holiday 2026 campaign, lensed by Gordon von Steiner, moves through a hotel washed in deep crimson, with gold dresses, black tuxedos and leopard print appearing almost everywhere else. In the accompanying film, a woman in gold walks through the lobby as other guests also make their way through the space, taking phone calls in their rooms, stopping at the front desk, pouring tea and waiting for something — or someone — to happen.
One model stretches across red satin bedding in a bronze-gold sequined slipdress, with a pair of jeweled metallic pumps sitting nearby. Two women pose together in gold evening looks, including a draped dress paired with a chunky necklace and embellished top-handle bag. Sculpted waves and red lipstick keep the whole thing firmly in old-school, Italian glamour territory.
The men stick mostly to black and white. A three-piece tuxedo with satin lapels, a crisp white shirt and black bow tie cuts through all that red and gold.
And then there is the leopard. The print turns up across the accessories, including a delicate tea set, watch bands, a catchall tray and throw pillows.
The campaign lets the hotel hold together almost until the very end. Then the frame widens.
The red walls suddenly stop. Lights, cameras and crew members come into view, turning what had looked like a series of private holiday moments — the phone calls, front desk exchanges, tea service and moments in the elevator — into scenes being performed for another camera. What first plays like a glamorous hotel rendezvous turns out to be the making of one, blending reality and fiction.
The campaign comes as Dolce & Gabbana is already well into its holiday push. On Oct. 21, the house and Mytheresa unveiled the second chapter of their exclusive holiday capsule, continuing a relationship that has produced more than 10 collections since 2017. That lineup goes also emphasizes eveningwear, with sculptural minidresses, floor-length gowns, voluminous skirts, metallic accents, sequins and embellished shoes and accessories.
Von Steiner knows his way around a Dolce & Gabbana holiday campaign, too. He photographed the house’s 2025 edition, which moved between snow-covered outdoor settings and indoor celebrations and leaned on black, silver and ’60s-inspired brocade.
