Fashion designer and businessman Domenico Mario Assunto Dolce was born in Italy. He is one half of the design duo behind the high-end label Dolce & Gabbana, along with Stefano Gabbana (D&G). Dolce has been an icon in the fashion industry since he founded D&G in 1985 and is now widely considered to be one of the most important fashion designers in the world.
Early Life and Childhood
Italian-born fashion designer Domenico Dolce was born on August 13, 1958. The “Dolce” in the legendary fashion house of Dolce & Gabbana, which she co-founded with Stefano Gabbana. In 1985, the two of them started a business that would eventually become a household name all over the world. Domenico Dolce is a Leo, so say the astrologers.
Dolce entered the world in 1958, in the Sicilian town of Polizzi Generosa. His mom worked at a fabric store and his dad was a tailor. He relocated to Milan with the intention of completing his fashion design education at Istituto Marangoni, however, he dropped out before completing his degree. As a child, all he wanted was a job at Armani.
Both his father Saverio and his mother Sara worked in the garment and fabric trade. Their personal relationship ended in the middle of the 2000s after they had been dating for several years. They persevered in their joint efforts to advance the company’s name.
Networth of Domenico Dolce
| Full Name | Domenico Dolce |
| Net Worth | $2 Billion |
| Date Of Birth | September 13, 1958 |
| Place Of Birth | Polizzi Generosa, Sicily, Italy |
| Profession | Fashion designer, artist, actor, producer |
Domenico Dolce is a famous Italian fashion designer who is worth $2 billion. He became wealthy and famous after helping establish the luxury fashion label Dolce & Gabbana.
This business was started by him and Stefano Gabbana. Domenico and Stefano were together in a serious relationship from 1982 till 2003.
Professional Career of Domenico Dolce
They met in 1980 while Dolce was working for designer Giorgio Correggiari and Gabbana was working for Correggiari’s rival. A year after leaving Correggiari to strike out on their own, Gabbana and Dolce established their namesake company, Dolce & Gabbana S.p.A. (D&G)
Dolce & Gabbana’s first fashion show was in October 1985, and it took place at Milano Collezioni’s Nuovi Talenti (New Talents). D&G‘s first collection debuted at their own “Real Women” presentation in March 1986. The first D&G store ever opened its doors in 1987 at number 7 on Milan’s Via Santa Cecilia. In 1988, D&G formed a joint venture with Dolce’s father, Saverio, who ran the Legnano, Italy–based manufacturing company Dolce Saverio.
Launching its first lingerie and beachwear collection in July 1989 and its first menswear collection in January 1990, D&G continues to grow and expand, presenting its first fashion presentations in Tokyo (April 1989) and New York (April 1990). D&G’s SoHo, Manhattan, storefront at 532 Broadway first opened in November 1990. In October of 1992, D&G launched its debut fragrance, Dolce & Gabbana Parfum.
When Madonna hired D&G to create the outfits for her Girlie Show World Tour in 1993, the Italian fashion house shot to international stardom. Later, they went on to do work for celebrities including Monica Bellucci, Kylie Minogue, Angelina Jolie, and Isabella Rossellini.
Tie, belt, handbag, purse, sunglass, watch, and shoe collections were later added to the D&G catalog. By 2003, the brand’s sales in Italy had surpassed those of Armani, Gucci, Prada, and Versace combined. Nearly 25 years after its founding, in 2009, D&G had 113 retail locations, 21 factory outlets, a workforce of 3,500, and annual sales of more than €1 billion.
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Private Matters of Domenico Dolce
For a long time, Dolce and Gabbana were out in public as a couple. In 1999, the pair finally came out of the closet. Due to their wealth, they were able to purchase a 19th-century villa in Milan and many villas along the French Riviera. The couple also owns a villa in Portofino. Although they broke up after a decade in 2003, they continue to work together at D&G.
Controversies of Domenico Dolce
Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, both fashion designers, were convicted of tax evasion in 2013 and given 20-month suspended prison sentences. An Italian court ruled that the two were responsible for concealing millions of euros in profits made by the Luxembourg-based D&G subsidiary Gado. As a result of their denial and appeal, they were found not guilty on all charges in October 2014.
Dolce’s statements about in vitro fertilization (IVF) in March 2015 prompted an online backlash. Dolce stated, in an interview with Panorama magazine, “And I identify as a member of the LGBT community. Unfortunately, I am infertile. Personally, I think it’s impossible to achieve happiness by pursuing every possibility.
You were obviously conceived by a loving parent couple. At least, that’s the way it ought to be. The so-called “chemical children” or “synthetic children” fail to convince me for this same reason. Sperm can be ordered and rented alongside uteruses.” Elton John, a British singer-songwriter, has called for a boycott of the D&G brand.
John and his husband, David Furnish, have children via in vitro fertilization. This led to a verbal exchange in which Gabbana called John a “fascist” and demanded a “counter-boycott.” He ultimately expressed regret for his remark.
In 2018, he and Stefano Gabbana issued a video apology after their brand aired promotional films for their upcoming fashion show in China that were deemed racist, as well as hacked private conversations that were derogatory towards the Chinese people, sparking a wave of boycotts.
Awards and Honors of Domenico Dolce
For their many achievements in the fashion and art industries, Gabbana and Dolce have been honored with a slew of awards. In 1991, they won their first major fashion prize, the International Woolmark Prize. Dolce & Gabbana Parfum was voted Best New Fragrance of 1993.
They were granted the Ambrogino Gold medal by the city of Milan in 2009, but in 2014 they declared their desire to return the medal when a council member accused them of being tax evaders.
La Fondazione NY, a nonprofit that helps young Italian and American artists, held its third annual awards ceremony at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York City in 2014 and honored Gabbana, Dolce, and director Baz Luhrmann. Gabbana stated at the event, “We live with movies — our inspiration is movies all the time, and we build our collection like a movie.”
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Conclusion
Dolce’s childhood dream of starting a fashion firm has come true, with Dolce and Gabbana now ranking among the world’s top fashion brands with Gucci, Prada, Versace, and Armani. They not only make contemporary clothing, but also trendy accessories such as ties, handbags, belts, watches, sunglasses, and footwear, noted for their loud prints and strong statements.
