Domenico Dolce Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Domenico Dolce
Dolce in 2016
Born	(1958-08-13) 13 August 1958 (age 66) Polizzi Generosa, Sicily, Italy
Occupation	Fashion designer
Known for	Dolce & Gabbana
Partner(s)	Stefano Gabbana (1982–2003)

Domenico Dolce (born August 13, 1958) is an Italian fashion designer. He is famous for co-founding the well-known fashion company Dolce & Gabbana (D&G). Since D&G started in 1985, Dolce has become a very important person in the fashion world.

Early Life and Learning
Fashion Career and D&G
Personal Life
Helping Others
Awards and Recognition
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Learning

Domenico Dolce was born in 1958 in a town called Polizzi Generosa in Sicily, Italy. His dad, Saverio, ran a tailor's shop. A tailor makes clothes. His mom, Rosaria, was good at business. Domenico became interested in fashion because his dad often traveled to Milan. His dad would bring back fabrics and fashion magazines.

Domenico first studied architecture in Palermo. But he really wanted to go to fashion schools in Milan. With his dad's help, he went to the Istituto Marangoni in Milan. He left before finishing his degree because he felt ready to work. At that time, he hoped to work for the famous designer Armani.

Fashion Career and D&G

Dolce & Gabbana store in Kobe, Japan

Domenico Dolce started his career by helping with his family's businesses. This gave him good experience. In 1980, he met Stefano Gabbana. They both worked for a designer named Giorgio Correggiari. By 1982, Dolce and Gabbana started their own fashion studio. Two years later, in 1984, they officially launched Dolce & Gabbana S.p.A. (D&G).

Domenico Dolce is like the "tailor" of the team. He draws the designs and makes the first samples of clothes. He also makes sure each piece of clothing fits perfectly. It was also Domenico's idea to work with photographer Ferdinando Scianna. This helped D&G become well-known in Italy.

D&G showed their first collection for women in Milan in 1985. These clothes were handmade and had special ways of fastening. They were inspired by famous Italian actresses like Sophia Loren. In March 1986, D&G had their own fashion show called "Real Women." The first D&G store opened in Milan in 1987. In 1988, D&G teamed up with Domenico's father. His father owned a clothing factory near Milan.

D&G kept growing. In 1989, they opened their first store in Tokyo, Japan. They also started making clothes for men in 1991. In 1990, D&G opened a showroom in New York City. A showroom is a place where buyers can see the clothes. The brand also released its first perfume, Dolce & Gabbana Parfum, in 1992.

In 1993, D&G became famous worldwide. This happened when Madonna asked them to design costumes for her "Girlie Show World Tour." Since then, they have designed for many famous people. These include Monica Bellucci, Kylie Minogue, and Angelina Jolie. From 1995 to 2004, another company made D&G's eyewear and sunglasses.

D&G added more products like ties, belts, handbags, and shoes. By 2003, D&G was very successful in Italy. In 2009, about 25 years after starting, D&G had 113 stores. They also had 21 factory outlets. The company had 3,500 employees and made over €1 billion each year.

Starting in 2023, Dolce & Gabbana began working in real estate. They announced plans for homes in Miami, USA, and Marabella, Spain. They also plan to build a hotel in the Maldives. In June 2023, the brand worked with Havaianas. They created a sandal collection with D&G's famous patterns.

Personal Life

Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana were in a relationship. They shared this publicly in 1999. They lived in a villa in Milan. They also owned homes in France and a villa in Portofino. Their romantic relationship ended in 2004. However, they still work together at D&G.

As of April 2024, Domenico Dolce is very wealthy. Forbes magazine estimates he has about US$2.1 billion.

Helping Others

In 2016, Dolce & Gabbana helped a charity event called Dynamo Camp. This event helps children with serious illnesses. They made a special doll that was sold to raise money. Before this, they made small versions of their designs for a UNICEF charity project.

In 2020, Dolce & Gabbana started the #Fattoincasa project. This means "Made at Home." It was a series of online workshops. They wanted to encourage families to do creative projects at home during the COVID-19 lockdowns. This project also raised money for COVID-19 research. The designers also gave their own money. Dolce & Gabbana helped pay for a study at Humanitas University. This study aimed to find ways to diagnose and treat the coronavirus.

Later in 2020, Dolce and Gabbana launched another campaign for their Devotion bag. A part of the money from these bags went to help with the second phase of research at Humanitas University. This research focused on developing a vaccine against COVID-19.

Awards and Recognition

Dolce and Gabbana have received many awards for their work in fashion and culture. Their first fashion award was the International Woolmark Prize in 1991. In 1993, their perfume, Dolce & Gabbana Parfum, was named the Best Fragrance of the Year.

In 2009, the City of Milan gave them the Ambrogino Gold medal. This is a special honor. However, in 2014, they said they would return the medal. This was after a city council member accused them of not paying taxes correctly.

In 2014, a charity called La Fondazione NY honored Dolce, Gabbana, and film director Baz Luhrmann. This charity helps young Italian and American artists. The award ceremony was held at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York City.