The acclaimed Italian fashion designer duo on women, their legacy, and the evolution of their global megabrand from scratch
“Fashion is our life, our greatest passion.”
In 1985, there were two aspiring designers and a collection labelled Real Women, using their friends as models and a bed sheet as their stage curtain. The rest, as they say, is fashion history. The duo has dressed the world’s most famous female celebrities and models. From Madonna, who says, ‘their clothes are sexy with a sense of humour, like me,’ to Cara, and Gisele to Christy who had the house’s trademark double-breasted jacket named ‘La Turlington’ after her, Dolce and Gabbana have shaped the style of a generation of women. They invented the corset dress, made us fall in love with Sicilian glamour and even gave the football pitch a fashionable upgrade with kit collaborations for AC Milan.
How would you describe the Dolce & Gabbana woman?
DD&SG: We do not have set standards. We love all women and every woman is a Dolce & Gabbana woman.
Who and what are your main influences?
SG: Inspiration can come from many different sources, a book, a song, a trip, a picture, Italy, a memory of when we were children, but also the everyday life and the people we cross paths with every day en route to the office. And how can I not mention the movies, especially the neorealism of Luchino Visconti.
DD: Of course, my land, Sicily. The sheer thought of it takes me back in time to so many joyous memories, colours, tastes, and villages in feast.
SG: Only by knowing who you are and where you come from, you can build the future. For us, Sicily is not only a great source of inspiration and the starting point of our projects, but has become a symbol of our country. With its traditions, folk festivals, the food, the passion of the people, everything! It’s such a rich place that we never tire of going back to, with both the mind and the body.
DD: People are now eager for tradition, history, family, and not only in fashion. In response to globalisation, people want something real, a dream that can eventually become reality, and for us this means telling our roots, our being Italian. We are not ashamed of pasta and mandolino!
Do you find celebrity affiliations contribute to more sales and interest?
SG: In a way yes, certainly. Celebrities would normally Instagram what they are wearing. Sometimes it happens that when wearing some of our creations, someone sees it and might like it or buy it just like that. However, we prefer to think that the desire to have our products is born from within, from the desire to buy not just an outfit, but also an emotion and a way of being, to express their personality.
DD: We do not like to speak in terms of sales. If we thought only in those terms we would be traders not designers. Rather, fashion is our life, our greatest passion.
Your collections are always fun, colourful and full of life. Is this something that really speaks about the brand?
DD&SG: Every single collection talks about us and represents us. You can appreciate it or not, but it is what we are!
How do you feel when you look back at your past collections? Do you feel an immense amount of growth since you first began?
SG: The beginning was not easy. We started on our own and we did not have a Group behind to support us financially. It was just the two of us and Domenico’s family who helped us incredibly for the first few years. They had a long tradition behind and they taught us so much.
DD: If I think of the first collections, I am reminded of the hard work, the sacrifices, not a vacation for years, but also immense satisfaction. Our journey in the fashion world has been, and still is, a long journey of personal and professional growth. Everything, every encounter, every moment of life is part of this ongoing process and our enrichment as human beings and as designers.
What has been a favourite collection throughout your history?
SG: It is too difficult to pick one collection over another. We just cannot choose.
DD: It is as if you asked a parent to choose which of their children is the favourite, it’s impossible!
Being at the helm of a brand from the start in 1985 you have experienced many economic changes. How has this effected the fashion industry and your own company?
DD: There have been many economic changes in three decades and there will be more coming. From this point of view, I would say that we were lucky because today we can say that we have built a solid brand with a strong identity.
SG: Fashion is constantly changing, just like the economic world, the challenges are always around the corner. The important thing is to know how to accept them, even if sometimes we do wrong. It is from mistakes that we learn and grow.
Does the fast pace of fashion effect your inspirations and design process?
DD: I have asked myself this question many times but I have always answered no in in the end. The collections are the result of passion, research, and love for one’s work. The speed, or as we say now, ‘fast fashion’ has nothing to do with it.
SG: I agree with Domenico, but that is just our opinion. We think that everyone has their own story and their own goals and it is not up to us to judge the work of others.
What is it that drives you to keep creating and taking the brand to the next level?
SG: The love for our work. Love is the engine of all.
DD: And the passion that drives us every day to create and invent something new.
What are your feelings on social media?
SG: Social media represents innovation, the future, and you cannot ignore them. We have recently completed several projects via the web adopting hashtags like the viral campaign #dgfamily, which is very dear to us. However, the deeper meaning of our work does not change. What matters to us is the ability to make people dream with our dresses.
DD: We create our collections always in the same way, trusting our instincts and our inspirations. This will never change, this is how we are. Fashion is our passion, our life, social media or not. But then, you are talking to someone who only recently got hold of an iPhone!
What is your vision for the future to continue growing your brand?
SG: There are still so many things we want to say with our fashion. Although it is all in our heads, fashion is made up of moments and emotions, so it is almost impossible to tell you where we will be in 10 years. The real goal is to still be here doing what we love to do, the rest who knows! We do not know.
DD: I agree with Stefano, fashion is a constant evolution. We do not have a clear vision of the future. We rely on our instinct and our heart.
Do you feel that creating ranges that are tailored to different regions and countries important for your customers?
SG: I think it is very important. Our clients come from all over the world, and everyone has their own customs, traditions, and tastes in style.
DD: We like the idea of maintaining our soul, made of contrasts, simple cuts, and craftsmanship untouched, but at the same time allowing it to work with the wishes of the people of a particular country, and also with the demands of this or that region. And luckily, it’s so, otherwise we would all be cookie-cutter designers.
SG: The Dolce & Gabbana style speaks of Italy and Italianità, but does so in all languages of the world!
Your abaya range was highly successful and gained a lot of interest. Is this something you will continue producing on a permanent basis?
SG: We designed the first Abaya collection following our desire to dress women everywhere. We are very happy that our project has been appreciated and understood.
DD: We were very excited about the first collection, so we indeed made a second! We are now thinking, what is next for the future…
As the Middle East market keeps expanding do you intend to concentrate on creating more for this region?
DD: As you said, the Middle East market is growing, just think of Iran or the UAE. It certainly is very important for us to be there and find the best way to meet the demands of the people of the Middle East regions.
SG: We recently opened a new boutique at Mall of the Emirates in Dubai for example, an interesting project that got us very excited.
Is your heart always with the fashion designing, or do you find the other sectors such as beauty and accessories as rewarding?
DD: I am a tailor, I have at hand needle, thread and scraps all day. It is normal to be so, but we have an experienced team that deals with beauty and accessories, and that helps us do our best even in those fields.
SG: We are a great DG family after all!
How do you feel the partnership with Shiseido will take the beauty sector of your business to the next level?
SG & DD: We are very happy and proud of this new adventure, we expect a lot from this collaboration, as with each new journey that we undertake.
What makes the combination of you both a great team?
SG: I think the creative process, which is the most important part of our work. Each collection comes first and foremost in our minds as a kind of movie, with its characters, the story, and the set. We are the directors, and the models are the actresses. There are days when we work together, others where we are on our own. We do a lot of research, we put together images, we give shape to the ideas in our heads. Once a week we meet and discuss. I honestly do not know how to do without Domenico. Most of our work together is to talk, talk, talk. We talk about everything and, without this continuous dialogue, it would be impossible for me to create.
DD: I am the one who pays more attention to the line, the shape, the cut. I’m used to working with needle and thread, scraps and metro. It’s what I do!
SG: I am more baroque! I put colour and lace everywhere.
Spending a lot of time together designing must be intense. What is the key to keeping a good relationship?
DD: Talk, talk and talk again. Each of us has his own approach and his own vision, but in the end we always find a meeting point, a solution that makes us both happy.
SG: And then care for each other. The respect and the affection we feel for each other is key.
Has the transition from being romantic to working partners been a complicated or straightforward journey?
DD&SG: We will love each other forever!
Living and originating in Italy, is that the place you feel most at home or do you enjoy travelling to other destinations?
DD: Italy is our country, a kind of creative cradle for us. It all started from here, from Sicily, which is my native region. For us, it will forever mean home.
SG: I think that everyone’s home is where there is family, where there is love that will never end.
How do you relax and switch off from the fast paced life of fashion?
SG: Travelling absolutely is the thing I love to do most to relax. As well as spending time with my pets and my friends.
DD: I also like to travel, visiting places I have never seen before. But a quick and easy way to disconnect is reading a good book or watching an old movie and staying with the family.
What do you hope to achieve in the next 10 years?
DD&SG: Unfortunately, we do not yet have a crystal ball, if we did we would tell!
by Eliza Scarborough
