DOLCE & GABBANA - LOVING ITALY
CRAFTSMANSHIP, LUXURY AND MADE IN ITALY
Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana - Dolce & Gabbana, and also D&G for a while - represent everything that one loves and hates about Italy. Luxury, unconditional love for “fatto a mano” (handmade), craftsmanship, couture and tailoring. And also tradition (that sometimes becomes traditionalism), opulence (sometimes evolves into ostentation) and patriotism (that is sometimes mere campanilism).
But, precisely becuase of their loyalty to no one but themselves without any kind of compromises whatsoever, they are, and probably will always remain, the pride of Made in Italy fashion.
It is the black lace, the three piece suit, the “Sicilian dress”, the bustier sheath dress in animalier print, the pajama suit and the Sicily bag, that compose the brand’s DNA together with actresses Anna Magnani and Monica Bellucci, both muses of the label in their own, peculiar way.
DOLCE & GABBANA, THE ICONIC DUO
The story of fashion’s creative couple par excellence begins in 1985 during Milan Fashion Week, when the duo presents “Real Women”, its first collection. There’s a reason behind the name: Dolce and Gabbana can’t afford professional models, therefore they populate the catwalk with local women.
But actual success only arrives with the fourth collection, which is also the first one to be dedicated to Domenico Dolce’s Sicilian origins and to old Italian movies. It is this fourth collection that gives birth to what the press will then refere to as “Sicilian Dress,” today considered one of the 100 most important dresses ever created. Inspired by a simple slip-dress, the Sicilian Dress has a straight neckline and a slinky silhouette that doesn’t simply flow downwards but actually goes upwards on the waist, emphasizing the hips and highlighting their movement with each footstep. Reproposed and re-interpreted with each collection, this garment soon became the icon-dress of the maison.
Tributing Luchino Visconti’s work, in particular the movie “The Leopard”, the fith collection brings in lace bustiers, satin, chiffon, leopard-prints, corsets and pinstripe suits. From that point onwards, the popularity of the brand and of its shows simply grows in an exponential manner.
DOLCE & GABBANA TODAY
Over the years, Dolce&Gabbana has dressed celebrities such as Nicole Kidman, Madonna, Demi Moore, Isabella Rossellini, Susan Sarandon, Matthew McConaughey, Tina Turner, Simon Le Bon and Jon Bon Jovi, as well as the aforementioned Monica Belluci and, more recently, her daughter Deva Cassel.
The brand’s love for the cinema, in particular for Italian movies, has evolved over time, from Mastroianni to Tornatore to the costumes for Baz Luhrman’s Romeo + Juliet.
The label’s logo has never been modified.
