DOLCE & GABBANA

Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana had cohesively formed their company "Dolce &
Gabbana" which has gained a reputed name in the fashion fraternity globally, commonly
abbreviated as D & G, is an Italian luxury fashion house The brand is associated with exquisite
designs which make a mark in the world of fashion. With their artistically carved designs and a
keen eye to perfection, the brand has made a buzzword in the industry. The brand savours to the
need of high profile people and has its exclusive stores as well as retails from the premier
designer stores of the world.

Addresses: Office —Headquarters Via Santa Cecilia, 7 20122 Milan, Italy.

Life History

Dolce was born in Polizzi Generosa, a small village near Palermo, Sicily on August 13, 1958. He
grew up in fashion, since his father was a tailor. He has always credited this with the reason
fashion became his medium of choice for expressing himself, something he felt a deep desire to
do from an early age. He studied fashion when he was young and worked in his family's small
clothing factory as he was growing up. Deciding to go off and pursue his own career in fashion
design, Dolce moved to Milan and got a job there at one of its famous design studios. He knew
immediately that he had done the right thing, that he had found the best way to express himself.
He told Bruce Weber in Interview magazine, "[Design] was the way I was able to do the things I
was dreaming about. As a designer, I see dreams as my job. It's like being a psychologist. I have
to capture what people are feeling and translate that into fashion and even provide what people
want before they consciously know they want it."

Gabbana, on the other hand, was born in Milan, Italy, on November 14, 1962. Gabbana, unlike
his future partner, had never thought about fashion as a child. He grew up away from it and it
was not until he was about 15 years old that he became interested in fashion in general for
himself, particularly such designers as Fiorucci. Instead, Gabbana studied graphic design at the
university because he wanted to go into advertising. He worked in that field for a short time after
graduation before he quit, realizing that his heart just was not in it. It was at that time that he
turned to fashion. He told Weber in Interview, "I was lucky because a designer took me under his
wing and helped me understand the world of fashion. But it was ultimately Domenico who
taught me the most about fashion. As time went on while I was learning about it, I fell in love
with it—with designing, with making clothes, with dressing people."

Career

By 1982, they had started their first fashion consulting studio and, in 1985, they showed their
first women’s collection in Milan, winning national acclaim.

The collection was mainly homemade, and consisted of instructed designs and complicated
systems of fastenings. Inspirational figures for the collection included Italian actresses Sophia
Loren and Anna Magnani.

Later signature designs would include corset dresses, gangster pinstripes and sexy black suits.
However, it was a visit to Sicily at the end of the 1980s which was instrumental in emphasising
their celebration of the curvaceous female form.

The designing duo next tried their luck in Japan and signed an agreement with the Kashiyama
group. In 1989 they opened their first boutique in Japan and two years later they were presenting
their first men’s collection.

Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana rose from obscurity to form a partnership that would have
them becoming two of the best known designers

Domenico and Gabbana, Stefano Dolce in the fashion world. They have dressed women like
Madonna and Nicole Kidman and men like Tom Cruise. People vie to wear their clothing at
public events and to revel in the attention such clothing affords them. According to the Dolce &
Gabbana website, their clothes are for a certain type of woman: "The Dolce & Gabbana woman
is strong: she likes herself and knows she is liked. A cosmopolitan woman who has toured the
world but who doesn't forget her roots." And the same, they say, is true for the man who wears
their clothes. "At his ease, he dresses for himself; a little hedonistic, he pays considerable
attention to details."

The pair met in 1980 when they were both assistants at an atelier in Milan. They started their
partnership in 1982, although they still did freelance designing for other companies until they
had officially started their own company. Fame and fortune, however, did not come immediately
to the pair. They struggled to come to the attention of the fashion scene and did everything in
their power to show off their designs to bring that about. "I remember our first show," Dolce
reminisced to Susannah Frankel of the Guardian. "We did it in a small apartment in Milan. We
organized it ourselves, me and Stefano, without PR, [with] nothing. My sister and my brother
were on the door." According to Allison Adato of People, "Using friends as models, they held
shows wherever they could—even in a fast-food restaurant. (The invites looked like
hamburgers.) The unconventional approach stirred enough buzz to land them a spot in Milan's
1984 fashion week." They made their real world debut at the "New Talent" fashion shows at the
Milan collections in October of 1985. They received such acclaim that they launched the Dolce
& Gabbana women's collection the very next year, in March of 1986. Not long after, in 1989
they opened their first boutique in Japan.

Their style is a mix of traditionally male and female clothing, as they are known to say that
fashion and dressing have nothing to do with being straight or gay, but rather that everyone has a
part of the opposite sex inside them and that everyone needs to get in touch with that opposite
side of their gender to be whole. They point out that it is only modern fashion that has made men
and women so different dress-wise. In the 16th century men wore high heels, make-up, and
dandy clothes and they were no less masculine than today's men, and women were seen wearing
more manly suit tops and flat shoes. When asked why the two of them collaborated and how it
worked, Dolce told Weber in Interview, "We have different tastes, which means that together we
tap a combination of desires. Sometimes we might create something that is more Gabbana;
sometimes it might be more Dolce. But what we create always has to arrive at some kind of
agreement." They both love the style and feel of southern Italy and most of their designs pull
heavily on that tradition. "We prefer southern people," Gabbana told Frankel of the Guardian.
"They have more passion. What we hate is when people put up a barrier and try and hide what
they feel."
Whatever their likes or dislikes, it became increasingly apparent that the two designers struck a
chord with people around the world as their clothing lines became more and more popular. They
launched the Dolce & Gabbana men's collection in January of 1990. Then, in that same year they
opened their first boutique in Milan. Also in 1990 the pair won the Woolmark Award. They
launched the D&G men's collection in January of 1994 and the D&G women's collection in
March of that same year. (D&G is their less expensive line of clothing.) Every year their
collections change, although each designer has his favorite pieces that remain in the collection
each season. Their concern has never been with what is trendy, but what feels right at that
moment. Gabbana was quoted by Frankel in the Guardian as having said, "We sketch everything
from new each season, and it doesn't come out the same, but it has the same feeling. This is
better in the end because I have one taste. The customer comes to my shop to buy one taste, not
another taste, not what is trendy. Sometimes what's in fashion is good for Dolce & Gabbana,
sometimes it's not. But it's better to stay a little outside. Not to try and keep up with it all. It's
better to stick with your own style, otherwise, e la morte [death]."

The one thing that really made the designers' career, however, was when their clothes came to
the attention of pop sensation Madonna. She has become one of the duo's biggest fans, and the
feelings are definitely mutual. There are very few people from whom the two designers will take
orders and design clothing specifically for, but for Madonna they will drop everything to help. In
1993, the duo created 1,500 costumes for Madonna's world tour, "The Girlie Show." They
expected this to bring them into the eyes of fashion critics and aficionados around the world, but
they received even more recognition than they expected. Then, for Madonna's Music album, the
designers went even further for their favorite pop star; not only did they dress Madonna and her
entire ensemble, but they designed and created an entire backdrop for the tour. It was a big
success.

In 1995 the book 10 Years of Dolce and Gabbana was published. The book, which
commemorated the first decade of the designers' fashions in photographs had an introduction by
Isabella Rossellini, the Italian actress who has been wearing their clothes almost since the pair
started designing them. Frankel in the Guardian said of the duo's fashions, "There's nothing self-
consciously cool about the label. What's more, it suits women (of means, of course) of all shapes
and sizes—in many cases, the stick-thin would be hard pushed to fill it. Instead, Dolce &
Gabbana's designs are overtly romantic, unashamedly voluptuous, and women the world over
love them for it." And their popularity has spread like wildfire. Their clothing has been worn by
such famous people as Brian Ferry, Brad Pitt, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, Victoria Beckham,
Kylie Minogue, Beyonce Knowles, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Salma Hayek, and Angelina Jolie, just
to name a few.

Although the pair became lovers when they set up their fashion house in 1985, they only
announced their relationship publicly in 2000. They bought the Villa Volpe, a 19th-century
palazzo in the center of Milan and moved in together. It was a much-talked about house, covered
with animal prints, red sofas, and church candles, reflecting the pair's eclectic tastes. In 2003 the
pair, who love the glamour and glitz of Hollywood and professedly love it when stars wear their
fashions, came out with their second book of photos called Hollywood.

In 2004 Dolce and Gabbana opened their first stand-alone store anywhere in the world on Bond
Street in London, England, the D&G emporium, which stocked the duos less-expensive designer
collection. Not everyone was excited about the fact, though, just as not everyone was a fan of the
duo's styles. A writer for the Daily Mail called the Dolce & Gabbana style cheap. "That's not to
say D&G clothes can't look good—you just have to be 18 and have a 12-year-old boy's body to
wear them. And of course they're fun, but that's usually because the joke's on the person wearing
them. One of D&G's few strengths is that they know who they're appealing to and play on that."
Although not all felt that way. Lisa Armstrong for the Times of London said, "Gabbana's knack
for creating just the right degree of theatrical gorgeousness stops the average shopper dead in her
tracks, while Dolce's eye for cut and detail seduces her in a quieter way, usually after she has
tried the clothes on. It's a formidable combination."

After 19 years, in February of 2005 Dolce and Gabbana announced that they had split up their
personal relationship. They moved into separate apartments, although they both lived in the same
block in Milan, and they have said that they will probably still go on vacation together. The
break up, they hastened to assure the world, would not affect their famous label. Richard
Edwards in the Evening Standard quoted Dolce as having said that the separation was friendly.
"On a professional level we are still together. We work together wonderfully well, we have a
very strong understanding. We have a very strong love which ties us to each other."
Dolce and Gabbana are now fundamentally known for wanting to make women look
“fantastically sexy”. Many of their designs are adapted from the feminist-era, before being
glamorised and modernised.

They describe their style as “sweet and sharp” and “New Millennium cool”. They were once
quoted as saying they are mostly concerned with creating the best, most flattering clothes and
sparkling trends.

Promotions and success

After gaining an international acclaim in 1986 the brand since then has no looking back. The
brand expanded to other luxury sectors as well winning numerous awards in each of them. Some
of the awards won by them are:

• The Woolmark Award for the most innovative Men's collection in the year 1991.
• "Dolce & Gabbana Parfum" awarded the international prize of the Perfume Academy as
the best feminine fragrance of the year in 1993
• "Dolce & Gabbana Pour Homme" awarded the international prize of the Perfume
Academy for the best masculine fragrance, best packaging and best communication of the year
in 1995
• In 1996 it won "Oscar des Parfums" Award which was the first time a Frnch Award was
given to an Italian fragrancefor its "Dolce & Gabbana Pour Homme".
• In 1996 and 1997, they were the recipients of the "Designer of the Year" award voted by
the readers of the British magazine FHM.
• In 1997, Dolce & Gabbana was awarded the footwear designer of the year by the
American magazine "Footwear News".
• In 1999 they were the recipients of the "Style Award" assigned by Russian Harper's
Bazaar.
• In 2001 they received the "T de Telva" award for best international designers; assigned
by the Spanish magazine Telva.
• In 2003, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana were honored in New York as Best
Designer of the Year at the prestigious GQ Men of the Year Awards for outstanding
achievement in men's fashion design. In the same year they were honored in New York at the
Fashion Group International's 20th Annual Night of Stars for outstanding achievement in Italian
design
• In 2004 they were voted as the "Best International Designers" by the readers of British
Elle vote for Elle Style Awards.
• In 2004 they were recipients of the German 'Leadaward 2004', the most important
advertising prize in German speaking countries, assigned for the Fall/Winter 2003/04 advertising
campaign. In the same year they received first prize as the best website in eyewear category at
Annual Interactive Key award in Milan.
• In 2004, at the Università Bocconi in Milan, Dolce & Gabbana received the "Premio
Risultati 2004" award for the company's financial performance and best financial statements
during the four-year period of 1999-2002, and for its strategic positioning and development
prospects.
• In 2005, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana are presented the 'GQ Men of the Year
Award' for best international designers by Russian GQ.
• In 2006, Dolce & Gabbana were presented in Hamburg the Leadaward 2006, considered
one of the most prestigious German awards for the Best Advertising Campaign of the Year
("Swinging London," women's campaign Fall / Winter 2005/06).

D&G began achieving long awaited awards in the 1990s and, in 1991, they were awarded the
‘Wollmark Award’ and ‘Best Fragrance of the Year’ in 1993. By the end of the 1990s it was
reported that their sales were around $500 million per year. They have now become one of the
world’s most successful ready-to-wear companies and are considered Hollywood’s number one
choice of designer.

The couple currently reside in a 19th Century mini-villa in Milan, with an apartment next door.
They have also recently renovated one of their properties on the French Riviera.
Products

Women's

 Watches
 Shoes
 Necklaces
 Belts
 Sandals
 Bracelets
 Handbags
 Earrings
 Wallets
 Non-Apparel Accessories
 Boots
 Men's Jewelry
 Rings
 Swimwear
 Dresses
 Tops

Men's

 Watches
 Shoes
 Belts
 Necklaces
 Sandals
 Men's Jewelry
 Wallets
 Boots
  Bracelets
 Key Chains
 Non-Apparel Accessories
 Backpacks
 Bags
 Hats
 Earrings
 Handbags
 Rings

Girls'

 Boots
 Sandals
 Shoes
 Tops
 Bottoms
 Dresses
 Jackets and Coats

Boys'

 Shoes
 Tops
 Boots
 Jackets and Coats
 Bottoms
 Sandals
 Baby One-Pieces
 Slippers
Brand and Client
Dolce & Gabbana has two central lines: Dolce & Gabbana and D&G whose modus-operandi are
different from each other. While the former has an exquisite range of luxury items which are
more formal and timeless the latter has a flamboyant look and is more casual. The brand also has
a separate D&G Junior line which caters to the children wear. The brand has expanded its reach
to beachwear, underwear, corrective eyewear, sunglasses, fragrance, bags and many more and
has stores all over the world with its headquarters in Milan, Italy. The company has just
published a book called "10 Years of Dolce & Gabbana", illustrating the history of the designer
duo through pictures of top fashion photographers. The duo also recently recorded a CD with
dance floor music under the D&G label. This Italian pair also has a glitzy-ritzy restaurant to
boast about which its interiors made out of gold (not real gold obviously). This Italian brand has
a client list which comprises of big names such as Madonna, Monica Bellucci, Ayumi Hamasaki,
Christina Aguilera, Isabella Rossellini and Kylie Minogue amongst others.