Milan, Italy-based fashion house, Dolce & Gabbana, is a comparatively young name in the fashion world but has created a vast impact for itself over time. The brand was started in 1982 when 24-year-old Domenico Dolce and 20-year-old Stefano Gabbana started business together after meeting two years earlier in Milan, where they worked as assistants in an atelier. The pair made their name together in 1985 when the organizers of the Milano Collezioni invited them to take part in a fashion show to launch “New Talents;” interestingly enough, the young designers faced a great deal of doubt from others because of how young they were. Just one year later, the designers presented their first independent women’s ready-to-wear show that won international acclaim; it didn’t take long for the brand to expand to knitwear, beachwear, lingerie and other accessories as well as a menswear line and signature fragrances. They successfully opened their first boutique in Tokyo in 1989 and now have eight freestanding boutiques in the United States alone. Dolce & Gabbana can also be found at upscale department stores like Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord & Taylor and Neiman Marcus. D&G has two essential lines. Dolce&Gabbana focuses on more expensive, timeless luxury items. Aimed at younger generations, the D&G line is more casual, following an urban inspiration. The duo has always shared a love of the baroque, which contributes to the mixture of their own Mediterranean spirit with an English quirk in their designs. Their intensely colored animal prints are often inspired by Italy’s prestigious film history; Domenico Dolce has said, “When we design it’s like a movie. We think of a story and we design the clothes to go with it.” Although they are known for making the “stars look like stars,” they claim to be more concerned with making beautiful, flattering clothes than sparking trends. Their clients include some of the world’s best dressed; Nicole Kidman, Demi Moore, Isabella Rossellini and the Beckhams are a few of many stars who love Dolce & Gabbana’s signature styles such as the gangster boss pinstripe suits and lavishly printed and embroidered coats. Both romantic and professional partners, Dolce and Gabbana have built their empire on a very unrefined yet sensual and respectable sense of chic products and although they claimed they would retire when they reached their 40th year, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana are still gracing the fashion world with their incredible styles.
