ALTA MODA

ALTA MODA
The first generation of heritage: Ortensia CURIEL
Elegance, exclusivity, pursuit of eternal romance and brilliance

Ortensia Curiel, an independent and entrepreneurial woman who only made tailored clothes for the nobility, founded CURIEL in 1908. During Ortensia's time, CURIEL is a synonym for elegance and exclusivity. It is the pursuit of eternal romance and brilliance.

In adherence to the spirit of couture, CURIEL couture dresses are made at any cost, with over a hundred artisans serving a single customer, sewing one-of-a-kind couture garments stitch by stitch, hoping to reveal the elegance of women in detail, capturing the unique and timeless beauty between the body and the movement of the garment. Whether it's the intricate treatment of fabrics, or the design of the silhouette, cutting, and sewing, every detail is handcrafted by artisans who spend a lot of time and devote all their energy, using the most sophisticated techniques, stitch by stitch.

Fashion might fade but what has remained is the mellow sense of the collection. It is the noble blood and the royal origin that unlock CURIEL's century of glory.

The second generation of heritage: Gigliola CURIEL
Natural and chic, tranquil and profound

"La Dolce Vita" is the lifestyle that Gigliola Curiel believes in, and she brings this faith into her creations. She has also made several customized costumes for the premieres of the prestigious Teatro alla Scala in Milan, where the true spirit of Milan unfolded. CURIEL in the Gigliola period is natural and chic, tranquil and profound, with perfect tailoring, while being illuminated by unique decorations that one cannot help but be fascinated by.

Velvet is the signature fabric of the Gigliola period. This heavy and rich fabric has always been a symbol of the extreme femininity and is very practical. It is also a very ideal tool in the presentation of feminine features.

The X silhouette is one of CURIEL's signature. Splitting the line from the waist, with a fluffy and light skirt, and a classic high-waisted draping, it outlines the finest part of a woman's waist, bringing a sense of decency and elegance. In addition, CURIEL's classic TUBINO dress was also a prevalence throughout Europe during the Gigliola period. In 1964, the Curiellino little black dress was introduced. It was the famous dawn-to-dusk draped black dress that marked the legend of the era. It was the cocktail evening dress that all Milanese women would wear for dinner. The little black dress was paired with a pearl necklace, sheepskin gloves, and a mink coat, perfectly illustrating the simple style of the Milanese streets. The tranquil and profound style with aristocratic and elegant cut, made CURIEL the undisputed protagonist of the 50s and 60s.

The third generation of heritage: Raffaella CURIEL
Romantic and exquisite, emotional but never vulgar

Raffaella Curiel, known as the "fashion intellectual", was the first designer to combine art and fashion. The language of Raffaella's style is passionate and refined, emotional but never vulgar, and bursts with an intense yet mesmerizing mystery.


Fashion is a capricious industry, but CURIEL will not give up her style. With good tailoring and an accurate grasp of the proportions of women's body, each dress from CURIEL shows the eternal beauty of femininity. The precise cutting, together with jacquard, yarn, and embroidery is the result of CURIEL's adherence to the spirit of Haute Couture for more than one century, and CURIEL's clothes have always brought women not only the beauty on surface, but the internal glamour and confidence from the heart.


In the Raffaella period, CURIEL's fabrics are mostly very light and flowing such as veil, fine cloth and silk. With numerous patterns in all size arranged in Byzantine style, the overall picture is harmonious and elegant, giving the clothes more light colors and warm feelings and hinting people a different view besides the classic elegance and modesty of CURIEL. The use of jacquard and embroidery in CURIEL is also just right - the satin lace of the dress is embellished with embroidery, and the cascading black tulle is rich in vintage layers. Both the craftsmanship and embellishment are perfectly in place, putting the spring scene in the spreading of the full bloom floral pattern. The elements like full lace, embellished bows, and vintage bud skirts, blend with other classic fabrics to create a wonderful visual effect.

Tribute to Art: Art Collection
Freedom, rapidity, passion

Raffaella has also made cutting-edge innovations for haute couture, and she has made a wonderful connection between garments and art. Outstanding masterpieces from various fields are represented in CURIEL's art collections such as Russian artists Chagall and Tchaikovsky in the filed of music, Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh, British artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Spanish artist Pablo Picasso, French artist Sonia Delaunay and Italian Renaissance artist Andrea Mantena in the field of fine arts. The lilies of the valley, the swings, and even the irises in Van Gogh's garden; the image of the harlequin under the brush of Picasso's "Pink Period" and the unique "Gothic savage" female characters depicted in Dante's paintings are all transfromed into the elements of CURIEL's haute couture. Freedom, rapidity and passion, is renewing the classics with changes.

2014-2015 autumn/winter collections
Tribute to Russian Artists Chagall and Tchaikovsky
Inspired by the palaces of the tsars and the compositions of Tchaikovsky in the 19th century
Spring/Summer 1988 Collection
Tribute to Dutch Post-Impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh
Inspired by Vincent van Gogh's garden series
"In Van Gogh's gardens, we found the most beautiful flowers, these lilies of the valley, swings, and even irises are sources of inspiration for me."
Inspired by Dante's paintings depicting unique "Gothic savage" female characters.Tribute to British Artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti
1984-1985 Autumn/Winter Collection
Delaunay had designed and made costumes for the Dakirev Ballet, inspired by the color-harmonious geometric patterns of the paintings
Tribute to French artist Sonia Delaunay
1991-1992 autumn/winter series
1989-1990 autumn/winter series
Tribute to Spanish artists Goya Lucientes and Diego Velázquez, inspired by the clothes of royal figures in 16th-century paintings
Austrian Princess Sofia in CURIEL 1989-1990 autumn and winter series
Tribute to Austrian artist Gustav Klimt
Spring/Summer 1989 Collection
The inspiration comes from the woman who looks laidback and a little bit melancholy in the painting
"The fabric of the elegant dress is almost always light, floating like a veil, mesh, silk. Countless flowers, large and small, are arranged in a Byzantine style, and the overall look is harmonious and
Inspired by the frescoes of the Wedding Chapel in the Castle of San Giorgio, Mantova was created in 1474. The woman in the painting is the wife of Luigi II Gonzaga, a woman of supreme virtue, dignity,
Tribute to Northern Italian Renaissance artist Andrea Mantina
1991 Haute Couture Collection
Inspired by Picasso's harlequin images in the Pink Period. The pink period refers to Picasso's creative style from 1905-to 1906. After the Blue Period, the joyous atmosphere of France gave Picasso ful
Spring/Summer 1992 collection