February 6 – June 14, 2026 | Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami
“Step into the world of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, where magic and fantasy, legend and reality intertwine.”
— Florence Müller
When From the Heart to the Hands: Dolce & Gabbana debuted in Europe, it did far more than attract visitors. It quickly became a cultural phenomenon. Milan, Paris and Rome each extended the exhibition’s run to meet extraordinary demand. Now, in early 2026, the exhibition makes its long-anticipated American debut in Miami at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami.
Presented within the museum’s expanded Design District campus, the exhibition has been thoughtfully reimagined for its American audience. The new iteration reflects both Miami’s rich cultural character and ICA Miami’s role as a vital platform for contemporary artistic dialogue.
A World of Italian Fantasy
At the centre of the exhibition lies the singular vision of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, the creative force behind Dolce & Gabbana. Since founding their fashion house in 1984, the designers have cultivated an aesthetic universe in which Italian identity serves as both muse and medium, infused with sensuality, theatricality and a distinctive irreverence.
Their work is instantly recognisable. It juxtaposes past and present, sacred and profane, opulence and wit. From Sicilian baroque references to cinematic echoes of La Dolce Vita, Dolce and Gabbana consistently translate cultural heritage into high fashion with an almost narrative sensibility.
The Art of Making
Curated by Florence Müller, one of the most respected figures in fashion curation, the exhibition unfolds as a richly layered, multisensory journey through more than 300 pieces, including archival works and new creations.
Müller, whose distinguished career includes major retrospectives devoted to Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior, brings both scholarly authority and poetic subtlety to the project.
Her curatorial perspective emphasises process as much as final form. The exhibition’s title becomes literal. Ideas originate in the imagination, the “heart”, and are realised through the extraordinary labour of artisans, the “hands”. Each gallery reveals another stage of this transformation, from meticulous embroidery to sculptural tailoring.
Immersive Storytelling
Designed by Agence Galuchat and produced by IMG, the exhibition functions less as a conventional display and more as an immersive narrative environment. Visitors pass through a sequence of theatrical rooms inspired by Italy’s artistic heritage. Art, architecture, folklore, opera and regional landscapes converge in a vivid tableau.
Contemporary artists, including Quayola and Obvious, appear in dialogue with the garments, creating a compelling interplay between tradition and technology, craftsmanship and concept. The result is a dynamic conversation between disciplines in which fashion becomes both artefact and artwork.
Miami as Muse
The Miami presentation carries a particular resonance. Installed at Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami’s newly acquired second site, the exhibition engages directly with the city’s character, its colour, diversity and appetite for spectacle.
Founded in 2014, ICA Miami has established itself as a cornerstone of the Miami Design District, earning international recognition for championing experimentation and expanding the boundaries of contemporary art.
By hosting From the Heart to the Hands, the museum welcomes a global fashion audience while reinforcing its commitment to cross-disciplinary exchange, where fashion, art and design intersect with uncommon fluency.
A Love Letter to Craft
Ultimately, the exhibition stands as a celebration of Italian culture, craftsmanship and the enduring power of imagination. It invites visitors to look beyond the finished garment and into the intricate web of references, skills and stories that bring it to life.
In Miami, a city defined by its own layered identities, the message feels particularly resonant.
From the Heart to the Hands: Dolce & Gabbana is not simply an exhibition. It is an experience that lingers long after the final gallery, much like the final reverberation of a grand opera or the memory of a beautifully told story.