Stefano Gabbana has stepped down from his position as chair of Dolce & Gabbana at the beginning of this year, according to a statement from the luxury fashion label he established alongside his former partner, Domenico Dolce.<\/p>\n
The Italian brand announced that Gabbana’s resignation took effect on January 1 and is part of a natural progression in the company\u2019s organizational framework and governance. They emphasized that this change will not affect Gabbana’s creative contributions to the brand.<\/p>\n
Alfonso Dolce, the brother of Domenico and the current CEO of D&G, assumed the chair position following Gabbana’s departure, as reported by Bloomberg, which was the first outlet to disclose Gabbana’s resignation.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, Gabbana is reportedly contemplating the future of his 40% ownership in the company in light of ongoing discussions with its banking partners. Stefano Cantino, the former CEO of Gucci, has joined the management team as part of the recent organizational changes.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for D&G stated that there would be no comments regarding the company\u2019s debt situation at this moment, as negotiations with financial institutions are still in progress.<\/p>\n
Founded in 1985, the Italian fashion house has experienced challenges amid a downturn in the luxury market, exacerbated by uncertainties related to the conflict in Iran, an area critical for high-end brands.<\/p>\n
In March, it was reported that Rothschild & Co had been appointed as a financial advisor as the company prepared for negotiations with creditors. At that time, D&G was dealing with \u20ac450 million (\u00a3391 million) in bank debt following a refinancing effort in 2025 aimed at implementing a growth strategy to maintain the brand’s independence. Lenders had previously granted a temporary waiver on borrowing conditions.<\/p>\n
Both Gabbana and Dolce maintain a 40% stake in the company through a holding entity, while the remainder is held by Alfonso Dolce and their sister, Dorotea.<\/p>\n
Stefano Gabbana, aged 63, was born in Milan and pursued graphic design before meeting Dolce while working for designer Giorgio Correggiari. Their partnership blossomed, leading to the rapid success of their brand, characterized by a bold Italian aesthetic that celebrates themes of masculinity, Sicilian culture, and indulgence. Their runway shows have featured diverse elements, including a tiger cub and various cultural references.<\/p>\n
The brand gained widespread recognition in 1993 when Madonna commissioned them to design costumes for her Girlie Show tour. After the couple’s romantic relationship ended in 2004, they continued to expand their brand, which grew to include menswear, lingerie, eyewear, fragrances, and cosmetics, achieving a turnover of \u20ac1 billion by 2009.<\/p>\n
However, the fashion house has faced numerous controversies over the past 15 years, including allegations of racism and homophobia. In 2012, they were criticized for presenting earrings that appeared to depict Blackamoor figures. The subsequent year, Gabbana was involved in controversy for comments made at a Halloween party where some attendees wore blackface.<\/p>\n
In 2015, Dolce sparked outrage when he referred to children conceived through IVF as “synthetic babies” and expressed opposition to the rights of gay couples to adopt, later issuing an apology for his comments.<\/p>\n
The company also encountered backlash in 2018 due to social media advertisements featuring a Chinese model attempting to eat Italian food with chopsticks, leading to Gabbana allegedly sending a derogatory message about China. Although D&G claimed their accounts had been hacked, the incident resulted in the brand’s removal from major Chinese e-commerce platforms and the cancellation of a Shanghai show, significantly impacting their business.<\/p>\n
Recently, D&G’s menswear show faced criticism for an all-white model lineup. Nonetheless, the business partners maintained a cohesive front during their women’s show in Milan in February, which was attended by notable figures like Madonna. In an interview with the Guardian after the show, they stated their goal was not to chase trends but to create instantly recognizable clothing that embodies the essence of Dolce & Gabbana without needing a label to identify it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Stefano Gabbana has stepped down from his position as chair of Dolce & Gabbana at the beginning of this year, according to a statement from the luxury fashion label he established alongside his former partner, Domenico Dolce. The Italian brand announced that Gabbana’s resignation took effect on January 1 and is part of a natural […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7766,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[549,202,1870,117,200,1765,774,937,88,571],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7767","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uk-business","category-uk-design","category-uk-dolce-gabbana","category-uk-europe","category-uk-fashion","category-uk-fashion-industry","category-uk-italy","category-uk-manufacturing-sector","category-uk","category-uk-world-news"],"yoast_head":"\n