Dolce and Gabbana: ‘Our dream is to inspire’

Dolce & Gabbana will mark its 40th anniversary this year. The Italian mega-brand co-founded and still privately owned by Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce has become one of the country’s best-known fashion exports, generating more than €1.6bn in revenues annually, and is a byword for la dolce vita, famed for its Sicilian references (Dolce was born and raised on the island) as well its emphasis on lingerie and tailoring.

This week an exhibition showcasing its Alta Moda, Alta Sartoria and Alta Gioielleria collections – couture-level clothes the brand presents at various destinations across Italy once a year – is opening at the Palazzo Reale in Milan. More than 100 pieces, including crystal-embellished robes, giant headpieces and jackets with 3D-quilted cherubs sewn onto the shoulders, will be presented in 10 rooms themed on the founders’ Italian passions: the handmade, folklore, art and architecture, opera and ballet... In an exclusive interview, the designers discuss these enduring obsessions, craftsmanship and the secret to their longevity.

This marks the first ever exhibition of your Alta Moda, Alta Sartoria and Alta Gioielleria collections. What made you decide to do it now? 

Stefano Gabbana: Initially, the exhibition was supposed to open in 2020, then Covid hit and we had to put the project on hold. We saw this moment of pause as an opportunity to explore our path from different angles and points of view.

Domenico Dolce: This exhibition will be a journey to discover the codes of Dolce & Gabbana, but with an eye on the present. We have chosen to start the exhibition with the works of six digital artists: Felice Limosani, Obvious, Alberto Maria Colombo, Quayola, Vittorio Bonapace and Catelloo. We gave them carte blanche and it was really interesting to rediscover our world through a new and contemporary language.

Why did you choose to title the exhibition, “From the heart to the hands”? 

DD: The creative process is a journey. It’s in the heart where the ideas are born, that irrational stimulus that drives creativity. The rest is done by the hands – those of tailors, embroiderers, goldsmiths and artisans.

Do you think that we are losing that connection to the maker and the handmade? 

DD: Certainly technology has changed many things: everything is faster and more accessible. Though we shouldn’t be afraid. It is a new way of working and confronting each other, a new way of expressing ourselves. The tools change, however the love, the craftsmanship and the creativity remain the same. The more pervasive technology becomes, the more we feel the need for authenticity and the handmade. 

SG: The handmade, the human touch for us represent a value, the most important one. Craftsmanship is the foundation of our creations, whether they are clothes or design objects.

DD: I grew up in my father’s tailor’s shop, among fabrics, scraps, patterns. I learned everything by observing and listening to him and I believe it is essential to transmit this discipline and, above all, this passion to the younger generations. In 2012, we created the Botteghe di Mestiere project: a school, within the company, which aims to transmit the basics of tailoring to new generations and offer, once the training period is over, a concrete job opportunity.

In the exhibition text, you describe the exhibition as a “love letter to Italian culture”. Which aspects of Italian culture have inspired you most? 

DD: The cinema, the art, the culture, the food, the traditions, the people we meet every day on the street… Italy is a constant source of inspiration. We are immersed in “absolute beauty” and sometimes we don’t even realise it.

SG: Every Italian region, in fact, has a story to tell, a folklore that reveals the soul of the territory and the people who live there. 

Stefano, you have previously said that Italians know that what matters is “style, not fashion”. Do you think this is still the case? 

SG: There is probably no more used term than “style” in this world… The problem is that style is often confused with fashion. Fashion is transitory, fleeting, it changes every season and allows itself to be influenced by images, ideas and new icons. But what is left of all this? Style, on the other hand, transcends time and trends. At the heart of the Italian style is the concept of quality. 

What do you hope people attending the exhibition will take away from the experience?

SG: It’s not just the artefact that counts, you have to be inspired by the history behind it. Our dream is to inspire the new generations, to encourage them to express what they feel, and give them courage.

DD: We don’t want to teach anything. Rather, we would like young people to see in the artistic professions an alternative, an antidote to banality and homogenisation. And if this project leads them to marvel at the creativity and craftsmanship that are contained not only in the final product, but in the entire process, we will feel truly happy.

This year marks your label’s 40th anniversary, which is no small feat for an independent house. What is the secret to your success and longevity?  

DD & SG: There are no secrets or magic formulas: just a lot of love and dedication to work, which is our life. It is crucial to have a story to share and strong roots. Through our collections we have always told the world who we are and where we come from. 

From the Heart to the Hands: Dolce & Gabbana is at the Palazzo Reale, Milan until 31 July; milano.dolcegabbanaexhibition.com