How Christina Aguilera Got Ready to Perform at Dolce & Gabbana’s Alta Moda Welcome Party in Sardinia

a collage of images of christina aguilera preparing for a performance
Christina Aguilera Gets Ready for D&G Alta ModaThomas Falcone

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.

The mic pack. Can’t perform without it!

a mic pack on a glitter background
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This is our final rehearsal before the show. Practice is essential before any performance, no matter what size audience we have.

christina aguilera posing on a set of glittery pink stairs
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This is our moment to tighten up the musical arrangements, sort final choreography and blocking, and also get a sense of the acoustics for the space.

christina aguilera lying on a cushion
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The details.

christina aguilera posing with her back to the camera
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My time in glam before a show is very important—this is also when I do my vocal warm-ups and think through the performance ahead.

christina aguilera getting lip gloss applied to her lips
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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.

christina aguilera looking at her reflection in a mirror as she gets ready for a performance
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Thank you, Dolce & Gabbana, for the personalized robe. 💋

christina aguilera sitting in a dressing gown as she gets her hair done
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Always have appreciated the attention to detail and statement pieces.

a rack with clothes and bags from dolce and gabbana
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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.

a collection of pink gloves and jewelry
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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.

christina aguilera in a pink sash and gown
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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.

christina aguilera looking at her reflection in a dolce and gabbana compact mirror
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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.

christina aguilera performing on stage with a pink feather boa
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It ended with a fireworks display—a perfect kickoff night to the Alta Moda weekend.

christina aguilera dancing on stage
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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! 🇮🇹

christina aguilera performing on stage
Thomas Falcone

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