SPRING '05 DESIGNER INTERVIEW
Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana may be Italian-born designers, but their sphere of influence transcends both geographic and cultural boundaries. Easily one of the most creative design teams to ever put needle to thread, Dolce & Gabbana’s meteoric rise to the top of fashion’s international echelon over the last two decades has been a remarkable achievement. Perhaps key to Dolce & Gabbana’s success is their penchant for probing beneath the surface of popular culture, extracting in the process fresh and completely original ideas as to what young, modern-thinking men and women want to wear. Theirs is a contemporary take on fashion that continually looks forward yet is forever mindful of time-honored elegance. At once daring and playful in their approach to design, Dolce & Gabbana are clearly at the peak of their formidable powers. Americana Manhasset caught up with Mr. Dolce and Mr. Gabbana for a brief chat.
D&G: We recently went on a safari to Africa…it was so amazing and we saw exotic, wild animals we had only imagined in our dreams. This became the inspiration of our Dolce & Gabbana Women’s Spring 2005 collection.
D&G: We both have different visions and approaches to design. It is when we come together with our ideas and our visions that we can create what is so special. We cannot imagine doing this without one another – we are like half of each other in our creative process.
D&G: Angelina Jolie is such a sensual, dynamic figure. She looks amazing in everything of ours. Jennifer Lopez is of course one of the most beautiful of all - her curves and femininity celebrate our clothes. She is a real woman. We also think Colin Farrell looks great in our clothes because he exudes such masculinity and is truly himself. Johnny Depp is so unique and wears our designs with such confidence.
D&G: She is sensual and strong, and unafraid to be herself. She knows how to be both masculine and feminine, and still always be a woman.
D&G: We really enjoy doing books and have just done a book on Hollywood. We also just released Music. It’s been great fun because we can look back and put together the images of all the amazing artists we have had the good fortune of working with and knowing over our careers.
D&G: We do love music, and the artists we have dressed understand our designs and bring life to them in their own individual ways. Music and musicians have always been tied to fashion, from Elvis Presley who was the major influence of our D&G Women’s spring 2005 collection and who had such a distinct style and sex appeal, to Usher today, who has brought such charisma and class to the scene. And of course, Madonna, she has always inspired fashion and influenced it as well. She has always been so ahead of everyone.
D&G: We are actually celebrating our 20th anniversary this year, in 2005. It is very exciting to reflect on all that we’ve done – with so much more to look forward to!
