City Branding and Public Space : An empirical analysis of Dolce & Gabbana’s Alta Moda event in Naples

This article focuses on the celebration of the thirtieth anniversary of D&G held in Naples in June 2016. For this event iconic places of the city were used as the backdrop of the Alta Moda Fall/Winter 2016 collection. For a few days, access to different areas of ‘Centro Storico’ (the Neapolitan’s downtown) were closed to the general public generating controversial opinions on the phenomenon of privatization of the public space. The study presents an empirical analysis of the video produced for the event and it focuses on the elements that characterize Naples as a cultural artifact capturing the authenticity of Southern Italy and simultaneously meeting the brand values of D&G. The findings revealed how the urban space becomes a tool to emphasize the core values of the fashion brand and how this process enhances the image of the city as a historical and cultural center, essence of Mediterranean and Italian culture.