Why a younger generation are looking to the Italian duo for classic style.
I still remember my first Dolce & Gabbana men’s show. It was not long after the Italian duo had launched their collection for men – in 1990 – and it made a huge impact on me. Here was an alternative view of Italian style to that which had become the accepted look of the ’80s.
Instead of the wide-shouldered and trousered suits with their double-breasted big lapels, here was a slimmer silhouette with skinny trousers and ties. A celebration of black and white (black suits and coats; white shirts) that spoke of Italian Neorealist cinema that was an inspiration for the design pair, and the Sicilian style that formed Domenico Dolce’s hinterland.
It was exciting and different. An alternative to the metropolitan look of the previous era, with nods to the rural – and coastal – in the knitwear, big boots and flat caps. And in its embracing of single-breasted jackets it signalled a shift in tailoring style that became the look of the ’90s and beyond.
“When the young bands come to us now for clothes for events, they want formal tuxedos. They want to dress up properly”
Of course, since those early days we’ve had a few different iterations of the label’s menswear: there’s been red carpet Dolce & Gabbana – all intricately embroidered tuxedos; night club Dolce & Gabbana – velvets and satins; and street Dolce & Gabbana, where logos and sportswear took centre stage. But through it all, the spirit of southern Italy prevailed. A collection that featured Chinese-style prints was even based on Palermo’s Palazzina Cinese, an early 19th-century chinoiserie fantasy commissioned by King Ferdinand III of Sicily.
But today in Milan, the hour has come to recalibrate. ‘It’s time to go back to basics,’ says Stefano Gabbana. ‘We are a label built on tailoring, and it just feels like the time is right to return to those first principles.’ He also points out that this has been prompted in part by his recent experience dressing younger celebrities. ‘You know when the young bands come to us now for clothes for events, they want formal tuxedos. They want to dress up properly.’
‘They have never worn this type of thing,’ explains Domenico Dolce. ‘For them it is new. For us it is where we come from – from the sartorial tradition. From working with luxury fabrics. From cutting the silhouette. But for younger people it is a discovery.’
Dolce grew up in Sicily and learned about garments from his mother, who sold clothing and fabrics, and his father, a tailor. Of the two designers, Dolce is the one who has been most vocal about the tailor’s art, while Gabbana, who hails from Milan and has a background in graphic design, could be said to have introduced an element of glamour to the proceedings. But it is the combination of the two that has proved so successful over the years, leaning in to the Italian belief in being well dressed at all times, and their country’s habit of performative dressing. This is perhaps nowhere more apparent than in the tradition of the passeggiata, where on a Sunday after church, townsfolk across the country promenade in their best clothes.
“I sense that the time is right to offer beautiful tailoring to the younger generation”
‘We are at a time of change,’ says Dolce. ‘I don’t know exactly where it is going, but I sense that the time is right to offer beautiful tailoring to the younger generation.’
‘You know, even seeing traditional pieces on someone who is of a different generation gives them a different look,’ says Gabbana. ‘Like a pinstripe suit on a 24-year-old; it makes a totally different impression.’
For this reason, you will find beautifully tailored jackets and trousers in the current Dolce & Gabbana collection (including in pinstripes!), and for next season the duo have gone all-in on a mainly black sartorial look, with white shirts offering contrast. The cut coming up this autumn/winter sees a shorter jacket and some experimental detailing, but the essence is elegance and quality. ‘Going forward it’s all about quality fabrics, it’s all about proportions,’ explains Dolce.
‘We are at a time of change,’ says Dolce. ‘I don’t know exactly where it is going, but I sense that the time is right to offer beautiful tailoring to the younger generation.’
‘You know, even seeing traditional pieces on someone who is of a different generation gives them a different look,’ says Gabbana. ‘Like a pinstripe suit on a 24-year-old; it makes a totally different impression.’
For this reason, you will find beautifully tailored jackets and trousers in the current Dolce & Gabbana collection (including in pinstripes!), and for next season the duo have gone all-in on a mainly black sartorial look, with white shirts offering contrast. The cut coming up this autumn/winter sees a shorter jacket and some experimental detailing, but the essence is elegance and quality. ‘Going forward it’s all about quality fabrics, it’s all about proportions,’ explains Dolce.
It’s also about having great stores to showcase the collection. ‘The mass brands are everywhere,’ says Dolce, ‘and we need to offer an alternative to fast fashion. We need to remind people through our stores – like our store in Bond Street – about the expertise that goes into our work. We feel that a new generation is now ready to discover this.’
Dolce & Gabbana, 6-8 Bond St, London W1S 4PH