The Golden Edge

Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana chat with Jeffrey Yan about why beauty is more important than ever and the brilliant riches they excavated for their latest Dolce&Gabbana Alta Moda and Alta Sartoria collections

- Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana

Earlier this year, as Italy was hit hard by the pandemic, one of fashion’s most vital creative and manufacturing hubs was forced to shut down. As studios, ateliers and factories ground to a halt, the future of Italian fashion was clouded in uncertainty. When the new menswear season rolled around in July, digital seemed like the way forward. Dolce&Gabbana was the sole exception amongst behemoth brands in its commitment to the tradition and fantasy of the physical fashion show.

While other marquee names experimented with digital presentations, the brand took to the runway to show its menswear. That was not to say it was business as usual. Instead of the typical enclosed venue at the Metropol Theatre, the show was moved outdoors onto the grounds of the Humanitas University— where Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have been funding scholarships for years and where they donated to Covid-19 treatment research earlier this year. Since that menswear show in July, the brand has been more prolific than most—following it up with women’s ready-to-wear in late September and not one, not two, but four couture collections in between.