The singer brought “Lady Marmalade” (and plenty of glitter) to the Italian island.
Trust Christina Aguilera to embrace the heat in Sardinia, Italy. At the welcome party for Dolce & Gabbana’s Alta Moda presentation over the weekend, the singer acted as the ultimate surprise and welcomed guests to the three-day celebration in Forte Village with a characteristically pink performance, festooned in glitter, feathers, and diamonds, and belted out her classic “Lady Marmalade.” It’s been more than 20 years since Aguilera first dropped the song with Lil’ Kim, Mya, and P!nk, but she sounded just as ferocious in Italy as she did on the stage of the Moulin Rouge.
For the ritzy showcase, Aguilera wore a pink Dolce & Gabbana corset with matching boots, and teamed up with the house’s beauty team for hair and makeup. Xtina tells ELLE.com she’s worn “D&G countless times over the years,” so performing for its VIPs was “so much fun.” Ahead, she shares an inside look at what went into her show—and her look—exclusively with ELLE.
Today, I’m working with my friend Etienne Ortega on makeup and Yuichi Ishida on hair. And since we’re in Italy with a late-night party vibe performance, for glam, we’re aiming for something with shimmer and pinks to complement the wardrobe and stage.
Thank you, Dolce & Gabbana, for the personalized robe. 💋
Always have appreciated the attention to detail and statement pieces.
The final touches for each of my custom looks were accompanied by these carefully selected accessories. I prefer to have options with the finishing touches, so having all of these add-ons allows me to really complete an outfit just before showtime—oftentimes the final details depend on how glam looks as well.
Here is one of the looks that we created with the atelier, along with my stylist, Chris [Horan]. Pink was the theme [that was] decided [on] with the event’s production [team], and with that in mind I wanted show looks that lean into something playful and feminine, but still modern, with a nod to D&G’s regular silhouettes.
The heat and humidity here in Sardinia is no joke. I generally get my glam done and get ready off-site for special event performances, so this photo is just a few minutes before actually hitting the stage.
This performance was so much fun! Having 40-plus dancers, in addition to live string players and a backdrop of the ocean’s night sky, set the vibe for the show.
It ended with a fireworks display—a perfect kickoff night to the Alta Moda weekend.
Thank you again to Domenico [Dolce], Stefano [Gabbana], and everyone at D&G for having me in Italy. This fashion house has been a part of my life for so many years, and it’s my pleasure to be a part of the Alta Moda event—see you again soon!
