Stefano Gabbana
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Stefano Gabbana (; born 14 November 1962) is an Italian
fashion design Fashion design is the art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction, and natural beauty to clothing and its accessories. It is influenced by diverse cultures and different trends and has varied over time and place. "A fashion design ...
er and entrepreneur and the co-founder of the luxury fashion house
Dolce & Gabbana Dolce & Gabbana (), also known by initials D&G, is an Italian Luxury goods, luxury fashion house founded in 1985 in Legnano by Italian designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. The house specializes in ready-to-wear, handbags, accessories, ...
.


Early life

Born on 14 November 1962 in
Milan, Italy Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
, Stefano Gabbana hails from the
Veneto Veneto, officially the Region of Veneto, is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the Northeast Italy, north-east of the country. It is the fourth most populous region in Italy, with a population of 4,851,851 as of 2025. Venice is t ...
region. His parents, Piera and Lino, originally from
Ceggia Ceggia is a town in the Metropolitan City of Venice, in Veneto, northern Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsu ...
and
Cessalto Cessalto (trans. Eng.; Hightoilet) is a ''comune'' in the province of Treviso, Veneto, northern Italy. It is home to a Monopalladian Villa, the Villa Zeno. References

Cities and towns in Veneto {{Veneto-geo-stub ...
respectively, were hardworking laborers, often juggling two to three jobs. His interest in fashion began around age 15, in general for himself, particularly in designers like Fiorucci. Gabbana pursued
graphic design Graphic design is a profession, academic discipline and applied art that involves creating visual communications intended to transmit specific messages to social groups, with specific objectives. Graphic design is an interdisciplinary branch of ...
, graduating from the
Istituto Superiore per le Industrie Artistiche ISIA - Istituto Superiore per le Industrie Artistiche (''Higher Institute for Artistic Industries''), is the name of four Italian universities, which train students in the field of design. The ISIAs are in Rome, Florence, Faenza and Urbino. They a ...
, in
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
.


Career

Gabbana's fashion journey began in 1980 when he met the Sicilian designer, Domenico Dolce, while working for Giorgio Correggiari. Hired by Correggiari with an emphasis on sportswear, Gabbana honed his skills in sketching and tailoring, often seeking guidance from Dolce. Though Correggiari passed away in 2012, his impact on the young designers was profound. Gabbana, in a 2013 statement, acknowledged Correggiari's role in mentoring them, emphasizing the valuable lessons he imparted about pitfalls to avoid in the fashion industry. In 1983, Gabbana and Dolce decided to venture out on their own, and two years later, they established Dolce & Gabbana S.p.A. (D&G). Within this partnership, Dolce handles most of the tailoring while Gabbana assists in fabric selection and the overall feel of the collection. Gabbana's main role comes during fittings where he judges the final look. Before their official runway debut, Gabbana and Dolce organized grassroots fashion shows in unconventional locations around
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
, including a small apartment and even a fast-food restaurant. Using friends as models and without professional PR support, these presentations helped create enough buzz to secure their spot at ''Milano Collezioni''. The fashion brand made its debut on the runway in October 1985 at the ''Nuovi Talenti'' (New Talents) show during ''Milano Collezioni''. In March 1986, D&G launched its first collection and presented its own show titled "Real Women." The first D&G store opened in Milan at 7 Via Santa Cecilia in 1987. In 1988, D&G formed a partnership with Dolce's father, Saverio, who owned the manufacturing company Dolce Saverio in
Legnano Legnano (; or ''Lignàn'') is a town and ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Milan, province of Milan, about from central Milan. With 60,259, it is the thirteenth-most populous township in Lombardy. Legnano is located in the ...
, near Milan. D&G’s repertoire expanded, unveiling lingerie and beachwear in 1989, followed by menswear in 1990. Their global presence solidified with fashion shows in Tokyo and New York in 1989 and 1990, respectively. In November 1990, D&G inaugurated its New York City showroom at 532 Broadway in
SoHo, Manhattan SoHo, short for "South of Houston Street", is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Since the 1970s, the neighborhood has been the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, art installations such as The Wall (SoHo), and ha ...
. The brand released its first fragrance, Dolce & Gabbana Parfum, in October 1992. Dolce & Gabbana gained worldwide recognition in 1993 when
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
selected them to design costumes for her Girlie Show World Tour. Subsequently, they went on to collaborate with notable personalities such as
Monica Bellucci Monica Anna Maria Bellucci (; born 30 September 1964) is an Italian actress and model who began her career as a fashion model before working in Italian, American, and French films. She has an eclectic filmography in a range of genres and langua ...
,
Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Frequently referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Princess of Pop", she has achieved recognition in both the music industry and fas ...
,
Angelina Jolie Angelina Jolie ( ; born Angelina Jolie Voight, , June 4, 1975) is an American actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Angelina Jolie, numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards ...
and
Isabella Rossellini Isabella Fiorella Elettra Giovanna Rossellini (; born 18 June 1952) is an Italian actress and model. The daughter of Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman and Italian film director Roberto Rossellini, she is noted for her successful tenure as a Lancôme ...
. By 1995, the brand secured an agreement to produce and distribute
Marcolin Marcolin SpA is an Italian eyewear manufacturer founded in Veneto and headquartered in Longarone. Started in 1961 by Giovanni Marcolin Coffen, the eyewear manufacturer owns and licenses twenty-five different brands, including Tom Ford, Adidas, Sk ...
's eyewear and sunglasses. The D&G product line expanded to include various accessories such as ties, belts, handbags, sunglasses, watches, and footwear. By 2003, the company had overtaken
Armani Giorgio Armani S.p.A. (), commonly known as Armani, is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in Milan by Giorgio Armani which designs, manufactures, distributes and retails haute couture, ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, accessories, and ...
,
Gucci Guccio Gucci S.p.A., doing business as Gucci ( , ), is an Italian Luxury goods, luxury fashion house based in Florence. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and ...
,
Prada Prada S.p.A. (, ; ) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1913 in Milan by Mario Prada. It specializes in leather handbags, travel accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear, and other fashion accessories. Prada licenses its name and branding ...
, and
Versace Gianni Versace S.r.l. (), usually referred to as Versace ( ), is an Italian luxury elite fashion company founded by Gianni Versace in 1978. The company produces Italian-made ready-to-wear and accessories, as well as '' haute couture'' under it ...
in terms of product sales within Italy. In 2009, nearly a quarter-century after its establishment, D&G operated 113 stores and 21 factory outlets, employed a staff of 3,500 individuals, and achieved an annual turnover exceeding €1 billion. In 2023, the duo diversified into real estate, announcing residential projects in Miami, USA, and Marabella, Spain, and expressing ambitions to establish a hotel in the Maldives. In June of that year, Gabbana and Dolce announced they will collaborate with
Havaianas Havaianas (stylized in all lowercase) is a Brazilian brand of flip-flops, flip-flop sandals created and patented in 1962. The brand was founded by Brazilian manufacturer Alpargatas S.A. Inspired by the Japanese zori sandals, Havaianas became the ...
to venture into making a sandal collection featuring signature prints like zebra, leopard, majolica-glazed pottery, and Sicilian cart patterns, crafted in a luxurious printed velvet finish.


Personal life

Gabbana and Dolce publicly disclosed their relationship in 1999. They resided in a villa in Milan and owned multiple properties on the
French Riviera The French Riviera, known in French as the (; , ; ), is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France. There is no official boundary, but it is considered to be the coastal area of the Alpes-Maritimes department, extending fr ...
, as well as a villa in
Portofino Portofino (; ) is a ''comune'' located in the Metropolitan City of Genoa on the Italian Riviera. The town is clustered around its small harbour, and is known for the colourfully painted buildings that line the shore. Since the late 19th centur ...
. While their romantic relationship ended in 2004, they maintain a professional collaboration at D&G. As of April 2024, ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
'' estimates Stefano Gabbana's net worth to be around US$2.1 billion.


Legal troubles

In 2013, both Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce were convicted of
tax evasion Tax evasion or tax fraud is an illegal attempt to defeat the imposition of taxes by individuals, corporations, trusts, and others. Tax evasion often entails the deliberate misrepresentation of the taxpayer's affairs to the tax authorities to red ...
and sentenced to a 20-month
suspended sentence A suspended sentence is a sentence on conviction for a criminal offence, the serving of which the court orders to be deferred in order to allow the defendant to perform a period of probation. If the defendant does not break the law during that ...
in prison. An Italian court found the pair guilty of failing to declare millions of euros of revenue earned through a D&G subsidiary company, Gado, based in Luxembourg. They denied the charges and appealed the case; in October 2014 they were both cleared of wrongdoing by the appellate court.


IVF position

In March 2015, singer-songwriter
Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...
called for a boycott of the D&G brand after Dolce referred to babies born through
in vitro fertilization In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a process of fertilisation in which an egg is combined with sperm in vitro ("in glass"). The process involves monitoring and stimulating the ovulatory process, then removing an ovum or ova (egg or eggs) from ...
as "chemistry children and synthetic children" in an interview. This sparked a war of words, with Gabbana later calling John a "fascist" and calling for a counter-boycott. However, he later clarified that his views on IVF were separate from that of Dolce. When asked on
CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
whether he supported IVF, he responded: "Yeah, I don't have anything bad (to say), because the beauty of the world is freedom" and "We love gay couple. We are gay. We love gay couple. We love gay adoption. We love everything. It's just an express of my private point of view."


China-related comments on Instagram

On 21 November 2018, Gabbana was publicly exposed on Instagram for making racist comments regarding China, including "China ignorant dirty smelling mafia" and calling China "a shitty country".Morwenna Ferrier
"Dolce & Gabbana postpones Shanghai show amid racism row"
''The Guardian'', Wed 21 November 2018.
Associated Press
"Dolce & Gabbana calls off China show amid accusations of racism on social media"
''NBC News'', 21 November 2018.
The Shanghai D&G Great Show 2018 was cancelled because of the commercials and his comments. Dolce & Gabbana said the account was hacked and it loved China and its culture.Lucy Handley

''CNBC'', Tue, 20 November 2018.
Stephy Chung & Oscar Holland

''CNN'', 21 November 2018.
Zhuang Pinghui
"Dolce & Gabbana cancels show in China after celebrities and models boycott over founder Stefano’s ‘racist online outburst’ and controversial ad campaign"
''The South China Morning Post'', Thursday, 22 November 2018.
On 1 December, Dolce & Gabbana deleted the apology video on Weibo.


Advocacy and philanthropy

Gabbana is a staunch advocate for preserving Italian craftsmanship. He believes that traditional artisans deserve more recognition and support, especially considering the global esteem for Italian workmanship. In 2016, Dolce & Gabbana contributed to the Dynamo Camp 2016 charity event, which aims to assist in the treatment and care of children with chronic and terminal diseases. As part of their involvement, they created a special doll that was auctioned to raise funds for the event. Previously, they produced mini versions of their popular designs for a
UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...
charity project. In 2020, Dolce & Gabbana launched the #Fattoincasa initiative, a series of online workshops designed to encourage individuals and families to engage in creative projects at home during the COVID-19 lockdowns. The initiative also aimed to raise funds for COVID-19 research, in addition to personal contribution from the two designers. Dolce & Gabbana provided financial support for study coordinated by Prof. Alberto Mantovani, Scientific Director of Humanitas and Emeritus Professor of
Humanitas University Humanitas University, also recognized as Hunimed, is an Italian international private university dedicated to Medicine, medical and Biomedicine, biomedical sciences. Located within the municipality of Pieve Emanuele, a constituent of the Metropol ...
which aims to form the basis for developing diagnostic tools, such as biomarkers of the severity of the pathology, and therapeutic tools to help battle the strain of coronavirus. Later in the same year, Dolce and Gabbana launched another campaign, the Devotion bag, with a portion of the proceeds dedicated to funding the second phase of research at Humanitas University. The research focused on vaccine development in the fight against COVID-19.


Honours

Gabbana and Dolce have received numerous recognitions for their contributions to the fashion industry and culture. They were awarded the International Woolmark Prize in 1991. In 1993, their fragrance Dolce & Gabbana Parfum was named Best Fragrance of the Year. In 2009, the City of Milan honored them with the Ambrogino Gold medal. However, in 2014, they announced their intention to return the medal following accusations of tax evasion made by a city council member. In 2014 as well, Gabbana and Dolce, together with
Baz Luhrmann Mark Anthony "Baz" Luhrmann (born 17 September 1962) is an Australian film director, producer, writer, and actor whose various projects extend from film and television into opera, theatre, music, and the recording industries. He is regarded by ...
, were honored by La Fondazione NY, a charity supporting young Italian and American artists, during its awards gala in New York City. Gabbana expressed his affinity for movies during the event, stating, "We live with movies - our inspiration all the time is movies, and we make our collection like a movie."


Film and television

Gabbana appears in the 2013 documentary, ''Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf's'', which explored the fashion industry. He made a cameo appearance in
Woody Allen Heywood Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American filmmaker, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades. Allen has received many List of awards and nominations received by Woody Allen, accolade ...
's film '' To Rome with Love'' in 2012, and served as a presenter at the
MTV Europe Music Awards The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an al ...
in 2002. Gabbana also had a role in Giuseppe Tornatore's 1995 movie ''The Star Maker'' (''L'Uomo delle stelle'' in Italian).


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gabbana, Stefano 1962 births Living people Fashion designers from Milan Italian fashion designers Italian people convicted of tax crimes Istituto Superiore per le Industrie Artistiche alumni Italian gay artists Gay businessmen LGBTQ fashion designers Italian LGBTQ businesspeople Dolce & Gabbana Italian billionaires People of Venetian descent