Dolce e Gabbana Power!

Initial history

Domenico Dolce was born on 13 August 1958 a Polizzi Generosa while Stefano Gabbana was born on 14 November 1962 a Milano. Dolce already began designing and making her own clothes at the age of six. The first meeting between the two took place over the telephone, when Dolce called the fashion company Gabbana was working for, looking for work. After being hired by the company, Gabbana took Dolce under his wings and taught him how the design process for a fashion company works and how to sketch out new designs. Shortly after taking Dolce, Gabbana was conscripted for compulsory military service 18 months, but after his return the two created a design consultancy company.

Even though they worked together, they always billed separately, until an accountant advised him to invoice jointly in order to simplify things and make the business more cost-efficient. The two began billing clients under the name Dolce and Gabbana, which became the name of their developing design business. The designer duo's first collection was shown in October 1985, along with five other new labels, as part of Milan Fashion Week. The two had no money for models, therefore they sought help from their friends; they didn't even have money to provide accessories for their models, so they simply dressed up their personal items as a complement to their clothes. They even used a bed sheet that Dolce brought from home as a tent for the stage.

The two stylists gave the name of Real Women to their first collection, due in part to the use of local women on the catwalk. Sales of their first collection were disappointing enough for Gabbana to cancel the fabric order they placed to create their second collection. However, Dolce's family offered to pay their costs when the two went to visit Sicily for Christmas, and the fabric company did not receive the order revocation in time–therefore the fabric was ready for their return to Milan. They produced their next collection in 1986 and opened their first store the same year. Michael Gross wrote about their third collection in an interview in 1992, stating that “they were a secret known only to a handful of Italian fashion editors. Their few models changed behind a shaky screen. They gave the name to their collection of cotton pieces from T-shirts and elastic silk “Transformation”. Their clothing in this collection was accompanied by instructions about the seven different ways you can wear a piece in an outfit, as the wearer could use Velcro and snap fasteners to change the shape of the clothing.

It was their fourth collection and the first to have a significant impact on the Italian fashion market. In this collection Dolce harked back to his Sicilian roots. The advertising campaign for the collection was shot by photographer Fernando Scianna on location in Sicily, with black and white photographs inspired by the Italian cinema of the years 40. They continued to use Italian cinema as inspiration in their fifth collection, taking as inspiration the work of director Luchino Visconti and his film The leopard.

One of the pieces from their fourth collection was called “The Sicilian dress” by the fashion press and was referred to by author Hal Rubenstein as one of the 100 most important clothes ever designed. It is considered to be the most representative piece for the brand during this period. Rubenstein described the piece in 2012, writing: “The Sicilian dress is the essence of Dolce & Gabbana, the sartorial touchstone of the brand. The dress takes inspiration from a slip, but it is a slip that adorned Anna Magnani, and it is a silhouette that adorned Anita Ekberg, Sophia Loren, [and so on]. The straps fit tight to the body just like those of a bra; the neckline runs straight, but she is attacked at least twice, one for each side, to caress the two breasts and in the middle to meet an uplifting crease that provides gentle support. The slip doesn't just slide down, but rises to the waist to hold the figure firmly but not too tightly, and then widens to emphasize the hips, to fall slightly tapered at the knees, in order to guarantee the oscillation of the hips while walking.

New lines and new markets

In the 1987 the duo launched a distinct line of jerseys and in 1989 began designing a line of lingerie and beachwear. In the 1990 they launched their first men's collection. In this year they moved the design house into its first real offices and began designing evening dresses and other more expensive pieces, in addition to their original clothing. Their spring/summer women's collection 1990 referred to the mythological painting of Raphael and the duo began to build a reputation for crystal-covered clothing. The autumn/winter women's collection 1991 was adorned with pendants, including filigree medals and decorated corsets. The autumn/winter women's collection 1992 was therefore inspired by the silver screen of the years 50, however the collection still included bodysuits adorned with crystal.

In the 1991 their men's collection was awarded the Woolmark Award as the most innovative men's collection of the year. What is regarded as their first attempt at international recognition came when Madonna wore a corset made of gems and an accompanying jacket by Dolce & Gabbana for the premiere of In bed with Madonna al Cannes Film Festival. The duo then worked with Madonna in 1993 to draw further 1500 costumes for the artist's international tour Girlie Show in support of his album of 1992 Erotica. In an interview about costumes, Madonna claimed that “their clothes are sexy with a sense of humor-like me.” In the 1994 the trademark of the house, a double-breasted jacket, was called “La Turlington”, taking inspiration from the model Christy Turlington. In the same year the company launched its second main line–D&G, a line aimed at young people. In the 1996 D's parade&G only made his appearance on the internet and not on the catwalk, experiencing the shift towards new media. In this sweet year & Gabbana also designed the costumes for the film Romeo + Juliet.

In the film industry, both Dolce and Gabbana appeared in 1995 in the movie The Star Man of the director Giuseppe Tornatore, covering minor roles. They appeared in major cameos in the film adaptation of Rob Marshall Nine. As stylists they also worked on the music video Girl Panic! of the Duran Duran.

As part of their expansion on the market over the years 90, In the 1989 Dolce & Gabbana signed an agreement with the Kashiyama group to open their first store in Japan. They launched into the 1992 their first perfume for women, called “Dolce & Gabbana Parfum”, that in 1993 was awarded the Perfume Academy award as best women's perfume of the year. Their first perfume for men, “Dolce & Gabbana for Men”, he was awarded the award for best men's perfume of the year by the same Academy in 1995. In that year the Dolce collections & Gabbana caused a controversy with the English and Italian press, when the two chose the theme of the American gangster to inspire their work. Dolce & Gabbana transposed this autumn/winter inspiration 1995 in women's clothes, which according to critics brought an erotic edge to the clothes. The duo had already used the theme in the past. In the 1992 the photographer Steven Meisel an advertising campaign was launched for the house, in which the models posed in “gangster chic”. This included 1990s-style wide-collared jackets 30 and black leather caps.

Author Nirupama Pundir stated that “Dolce & Gabbana, with their super-feminine and imaginative style, they broke away from the serious and staid fashions that dominated the scene for most of the 90s.”

Becoming a global brand

Dolce & Gabbana continued to work with Madonna, designing clothes for her Drowned World Tour international of 2001, in support of his album released in 2000 Music. They also designed clothes for the international tours of Missy Elliot, Beyonce, e Mary J. Blige. In the 1999 the duo appeared in The Oprah Winfrey Show in support of the singer Whitney Houston, who used the show to preview dresses designed by Dolce & Gabbana for his tour My Love is Your Love, regarded by fashion and music critics as unusually risqué. The duo continued to design clothes for music artists throughout the years 2000, including clothes for the tour Showgirl Homecoming Of Kylie Minogue. Madonna also took part in the advertising campaigns of 2010 of Dolce & Gabbana.

Over the years 2000 Dolce & Gabbana was greatly inspired by the sport of football. In the 2003 the men's line took inspiration mainly from the greatest football stars in the world. Other forms of art were inspired by Dolce & Gabbana. In the 2003 the dance music artist Frankie Knuckles he said the fashion house was a “excellent barometer” for trends in the world of fashion and music. Following their impact on the world of design, In the 2002 the corsets, who played an essential role in the beginnings of Dolce's business & Gabbana, they were rediscovered by many European designers as a soon-to-arrive trend. In recent years Dolce & Gabbana have begun to organize private viewings of their collections for buyers, with the aim of selling their collections before they are available to the public and preventing the plagiarism of their designs by fast fashion companies.

In the 2012 D&G was merged with Dolce & Gabbana, with the aim of strengthening the main line. The latest independent collection by D&G was in the spring/summer 2012, shown in September of 2011. The New Yorker In the 2005 stated that “Dolce & Gabbana are becoming over the years 2000 what Prada has represented over the years 90 and Armani over the years 80-the stylists, whose sensitivity defines the decade.” As for personal rewards, In the 1996 and in 1997 Dolce & Gabbana were nominated by FHM designer of the year. In the 2003 GQ Dolce listed & Gabbana among his men “Men of the Year”. The following year the readers of Elle they voted Dolce & Gabbana as best international designers at the Elle Style Awards 2004. Il 19 June 2010 Dolce & Gabbana celebrated the 20th anniversary of their brand in Piazza della Scala and in Marine Palace in Milan. The next day a public exhibition was held, which included a room in which several dozen televisions had been randomly stacked on top of each other, each showcasing a different past collection of the house, reviewing its twenty years of history.

by wikipedia