June 13, 2011 |
FROM THE VAULT (SUMMER 2008)
NATIONALITY: Italian
LABELS: Dolce & Gabbana, founded in 1985 by Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. Dolce & Gabbana specialises in luxury items, D&G is the younger, more flamboyant line of the brand.
Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana are the Yin and Yang of modern Italian fashion. Joined at the hip in life as in creativity (they were lovers for 19 years and are still working in total harmony together, as close as brothers), they have all the passion of Italy – and then a little more because they both adore and find constant inspiration in the culture of the deep south, especially that of Sicily, the most passionate place in Europe.
So, it is no surprise that their clothes are colourful, extravagant and, whether for men or women, beyond sexy. They have made ripped jeans, leather jackets and denim their own sexual trademark, but they are also aware of the elegance, understatement and perfect taste that are essential elements of the work of Italian designers. In many people’s view they are the children of Gianni Versace, whose exuberant, over-the-top decorative sense and understanding of colour from its most powerful to its most understated they share.
But that is only the jumping-off point. These two gifted men are totally original and have created their own vocabulary of fashion without leaning on anyone else. That they could only be Italian goes without saying, but the Italy they use and reflect in their fabulously extravagant but always elegant clothes is entirely their own – even though they please millions of women and men of all ages worldwide…
The Dolce & Gabbana woman is sexy, sexy, sexy. Confident, eager for life, she leaves others standing. Her energy and high-octane love affairs are her whole life and she loves the dresses that this iconoclastic duo create for her, every season with a new twist, because they work perfectly for her – and for her lovers.
WHAT WERE YOU DOING 10 YEARS AGO?
Stefano Gabbana: “We were designers, like today.”
Domenico Dolce: “For sure we younger designers, but with the same sort of passion we have now for our work.”
HOW HAS YOUR APPROACH TO FASHION CHANGED OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS?
SG: “It has remained the same, although we now have more awareness and confidence.”
DD: “And we now have different tools compared to then – let’s take the internet for instance.”
SG: “Ten years ago we did not even have a computer and now I have an account on Twitter!”
IN WHAT WAYS ARE PERSONAL APPEARANCE AND LIFESTYLE IMPORTANT TO YOU?
SG: “Because that’s how we are. It is a reflection of our personality and also it means consistency with what we do.”
DD: “It would be hard to say that we want to make people look beautiful if we did not look after ourselves first.”
TEN IS CONSIDERED A TALISMANIC NUMBER. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU?
DD: “Many things. It is the perfect number, the contrast of the union between 1 and 0… ”
SG: “The number of the jersey I had when I used to play basketball, the highest grade you can get at school, the film with Bo Derek… ”
FASHION IS CHANGING RAPIDLY. HOW WILL IT AFFECT YOU IN HOW YOU PRESENT YOUR CLOTHES IN ORDER TO REACH THE MAXIMUM AUDIENCE – AND HOW WILL THAT AUDIENCE DIFFER FROM THE TRADITIONAL AUDIENCE?
SG: “Fashion has already changed. The internet and new technologies have transformed everything. If now you have the bloggers on the front row next to traditional media, there’s a reason. It is democracy, but not only. It means that things are not the same anymore.”
DD: “And we do welcome the change. Fashion opens itself to the world, there is a more free attitude. We give to everyone the opportunity to come in and watch and understand what there is behind a fashion show. And it is at the same time hard work, but also with fun aspects.”
WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG – SAY, 10 OR A TEENAGER – WHAT WERE YOUR AMBITIONS?
SG: “At that age maybe you can’t talk about ambitions, maybe it is all more about dreams. And at the time I dreamt about becoming an actor.”
DD: “I wanted to do what I do now.”
OUTSIDE OF FASHION, WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY OR SAD?
SG: “Only happy things: my family and my dogs!”
DD: “My family and my work make me happy.”
WHAT ARE THE TRUE INSPIRATIONS FOR YOU – IN YOUR LIFE AND IN YOUR DESIGNING?
SG: “Inspirations are always true and are the same both in life and when we work. What inspires us, due to our work and to the way we are, is what has to do with life: a trip, a movie, a song or a book, art and photography.”
DD: “Our work is an essential part of our lives and you cannot separate life and work.”
IF YOU COULD SPEND 10 DAYS TOTALLY AWAY FROM FASHION AND YOUR PRESENT LIFE, HOW WOULD YOU SPEND THEM?
SG: “Travelling.”
DD: “And devoting time to do things we have little time left for, for instance visiting art galleries, doing research like we used to do at the beginning of our careers.”
IN 10 YEARS’ TIME WHAT SORT OF LIFE DO YOU EXPECT TO BE LIVING?
SG: “More or less the one we live now.”
DD: “With maybe less frenzy.”
SG: “Domenico, do you really believe that?!”
by Colin McDowell
Photograph by Terry Richardson – www.terryrichardson.com
