The Italian luxury label is once again a fixture of the red carpet and the subject of gauzy magazine

profiles. In the last few weeks, Greta Gerwig, Blake Lively, Lupita Nyong’o and even the Duchess of
Cambridge have worn the brand during public appearances. And on Tuesday, first lady Melania
Trump, a long-time supporter, sported a dark Dolce & Gabbana suit to President Donald Trump's
State of the Union address.

Dolce & Gabbana’s many critics advocated to get the brand off the backs of A-listers in 2018,
following a roughly six-month run where designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana managed
to insult the Japanese fashion industry, Selena Gomez and the people of China in rapid succession.

The label’s hourglass-making, richly ornate looks were largely absent from awards shows for about a
year. Their sudden return marks a new chapter in one of fashion’s most enduring mysteries: why, no
matter what Dolce & Gabbana’s controversial founders say or do, does the brand always come
roaring back, seemingly none the worse for wear?

This time around, some industry insiders credit Lucio Di Rosa, who joined the brand at the start of
2020 as head of worldwide celebrities and VIP relations, a position he held at Versace for 15 years
and Armani before that. “Lucio is a beloved figure within the fashion industry,” said fashion writer
Evan Ross Katz. “He has really strong connections with stylists and celebrities.”.

Resilient sales are a sign that Dolce & Gabbana’s antagonism toward critics and disdain for political
correctness remains a viable strategy, even as other brands compete with marketing strategies,
diversity committees and other efforts to stress to consumers they have a stance on political and
social issues.