The Forbidden City is no stranger to European heritage, as in 2001 it was the setting of an incredible concert by the Three Tenors: Luciano Pavarotti, Josè Carrera and Placido Domingo. Eleven years later, the Palace and some of its surrounding 980 buildings have become the setting for a beautiful Dolce&Gabbana Alta Moda shoot for Vogue China.

 Lace, double duchesse satin, mikado, astrakhan and other precious materials look perfectly at home in the Imperial Palace where once silk clad emperors walked its corridors.

 Classic eveningwear or tailored silhouettes are offset by the crumbling red walls of the city, while intricate designs match those unique carvings and gilded decoration on the roofs and pillars of the structures.

 A meeting of cultures, and a meeting of luxury, and one thing in common: the utmost craftsmanship.

Credits: Vogue China

stylist : Candy Lee 
Photographer : Chen Min