From couture and jewellery to international models, the Congress Awards gala brought the fashion world into Ca’ Sagredo during Venice Film Festival week.
Venice in September has long belonged as much to fashion as to cinema. During the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, which ran from 2 to 12 September 2026, premieres on the Lido once again became global showcases for designers, jewellery houses, stylists and international talent.
On 11 September, that relationship moved from the red carpet to the Grand Canal as La Dolce Vita, the Royal Gentlemen Gala Dinner and Congress Awards, welcomed an international guest list to Ca’ Sagredo. Fashion was one of the strongest elements of the evening, represented by designers, models, jewellery, beauty and personalities whose work moves between creative industries.
Caroline Azmy
Among the guests was international model Azon, joining Azul Coral, Caroline Azmy, Christina Duxa and other figures from fashion, cinema and entertainment. Christina Duxa brought a particularly direct connection between the two industries as both Founder and Creative Director of AI Filmfest Athens and a couture designer.
Jewellery became part of the fashion narrative through Oliver Weber Collection, Official Jewellery Partner of La Dolce Vita. Lidia Weber, Director of Special Projects, presented the house’s Dolce Vita Collection, inspired by Venice, the lagoon and the visual language of Carnival.
Beauty and fragrance completed the picture with LABOR8 founder Velichka Gospodinova, Young Voyage founder Nadine Ahmad, LEDEN8 founder Victoria Dimitrova and Massimiliano Giobergia of Cosmetic Tailors, showing how closely fashion today is connected to fragrance, beauty technology and specialised luxury production.
Hosted by Thomas Misse and Marek Harmony of Royal Gentlemen Club together with Congress Awards, founded by Anna Stukkert, La Dolce Vita reflected the wider transformation of festival culture. Cinema may bring the world to Venice, but fashion increasingly shapes how that world is seen.