An analysis of Dolce & Gabbana’s brand philosophy

The Sicilian identity, protagonist of Dolce & Gabbana’s Haute Couture between architecture, craftsmanship and traditions

Abstract

Myths, legends and traditions. This is where the narrative of Sicily starts for Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. Fashion often uses and takes inspiration from places and their atmospheres, which are declined within the narrative framework of the collections, taking on the role of a frame. The originality of the two designers can be found here, in the centrality of Sicily, which takes on the part of the protagonist and creative and narrative fulcrum of the brand. Their collections thus represent the sartorial transposition of a land born of dominations and told by traditions, evoking Sicily through the luxury of its baroque and the spectacular poverty of its land. Inspired by the image of neo-realist Sicily and the lushness of Luchino Visconti's The Leopard, they bring to light a land of traditions and people, giving a narrative through clothes and in a spectacular unicum of collections and experiences. Taking inspiration from Scianna's photography, Tornatore's direction and Morricone's music, Sicily is told through the brand's narrative imagery using its architecture, its spaces and people, and abolishing the classic image of mere scenography. Their narrative allows, through landscapes and experiences, Sicily's atmospheres to be recounted in a new guise. The central pivot of the two stylists is the integrated presentation of places, knowledge and craftsmanship, the union of which creates collections that make Sicily the leading brand, thus giving rise to an innovative project to enhance the territory. For this reason, architecture, the spaces that have made Sicily the image of the Mediterranean, become central to the profound and complete interpretation of Dolce and Gabbana's creative ideology. Thus, from Noto to Palermo, historical architecture and rural landscapes are told through the union of places, knowledge and people.