Dolce & Gabbana: The Cultural Bridge Collapse
Dolce & Gabbana, a brand known for iconic collections inspired by Italian culture and the Sicilian lifestyle, with timeless designs that exude sensuality.
Its DNA was formed around family, Nonna’s jewelry: a translation of the Mediterranean aesthetic that has become a fiber of Dolce & Gabbana’s ethos. Yet, what appears to be an equal part of its ethos is the outspoken nature of Stefano Gabbana, causing D&G to become seemingly more infamous for corrosive commentary from one of its founders than for its ready-to-wear collections.
Is this the brand vision of Dolce & Gabbana?
Dolce & Gabbana perfected the Southern Italian aesthetic with unforgettable pieces like the black lace dress, the Sicily tote and filigree that look like a sacred family heirloom. Over the past four decades they developed feminine garments with a hint of edginess that gave contrast to its contemporaries that were hyper focused on minimalism.
Their brand campaigns romanticize various elements of family life and long held Sicilian traditions. But could they translate this vision to other markets and build a cultural bridge?
A MISSED OPPORTUNITY.
Their attempt to enter the Chinese market resulted in a cultural bridge collapse when they ran a campaign featuring a Chinese model struggling to eat a slice of pizza, a ridiculously large cannoli and a gargantuan bowl of spaghetti with chopsticks.
Clearly, the brainpower left the room when this concept was conceived. It made the Chinese community seem uncultured and un sophisticated. Meanwhile, the ability to successfully use chopsticks is a masterclass in cultural dexterity. Was this a form of reverse psychology to have the Chinese community prove something? Or was this campaign an attempt at humor that fell flat? So many questions but no real answers.
If Dolce & Gabbana had embraced culture as a bridge, they could have used that same bowl of pasta to demonstrate the shared culinary identity of noodles. In fact, the running joke is that noodles, the foundation of Italian cuisine, are derived from China — long live the urban legend of Marco Polo. The bowl of spaghetti could have been remixed as a form of inter-cultural symmetry rather than mockery.
One could argue that the campaign unofficially ushered in the era of “cancel culture”. The videos were removed less than twenty four hours later. However, the Chinese community expressed their outrage by boycotting the brand, causing a boy band star, Wang Junkai, to terminate his partnership.
It seemed like overnight, Dolce & Gabbana alienated many Chinese consumers, a market segment that represents a third of the global luxury market.
Despite a formal apology, the old “our account was hacked” it was too much, too little, too late. The Chinese consumers couldn’t care less about the brand’s mea culpa. Dolce & Gabbana was persona non grata.
DESPERATE TIMES CALLED FOR DESPERATE MEASURES
Stefano Gabbana, allegedly once called the Kardashians “the most cheap people in the world” in a deleted Instagram post. That’s rich, considering they eventually sought the intervention of their influence with the goal of launching a campaign to rehabilitate their image and drum up new business. Leveraged would be a more honest assessment as the brand went on to “Kapitalize” on the Kardashians by designing several pieces for Kourtney’s nuptials with musician Travis Barker. The designer duo hosted the ceremony at their villa and dressed the family in a variety of D&G looks.
Despite not taking the Kardashians seriously at first, Dolce was reportedly "inspired to do more" — just not enough to collaborate on an entirely new collection. Instead, they opted to tweak Dolce & Gabbana styles from the 1990s and early 2000s for the brand’s Spring/Summer 2023 collection. A series of the greatest hits, reworked just enough to look fresh coming down the runway.
Kardashian, reportedly stated, “Sometimes I’m a futuristic alien Barbie, which I love,” she said. “But in my soul I’m also a very sensual Italian mob wife.”
On the other hand, the brand values have always played up family but not that type of family. Kim was clearly infatuated with a playful yet scandalous characterization of a small faction of Sicilian culture. More like the stereotypical Italian-American mob wife than Southern Italian maiden. It might have been better to channel the energy for a campaign built around AI images of a vintage Sophia Loren. So much for femininity in its purest essence.
Nevertheless, Kim channeled her inner Victoria Gotti — and the "Ciao, Kim" Spring/Summer 2023 collection became a viral sensation. The one time investing in something “cheap” turned a big profit.
THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING
While I am not certain how much goodwill the Kardashian collaboration brought D&G, the gaffes didn’t end there. The sharp-tongued Stefano Gabbana trivialized the MeToo movement. A classic case that some things are better left unsaid. Included in that vault should have been the declarative statement of “sending people to hell” over dressing Melania Trump during one of the most controversial and volatile presidential administrations in modern American history. Telling followers "please you don’t buy anymore my fashion please!!! I dont need a ignorant costumer!!!”
Unlike Gucci that has the luxury conglomerate Kering Group to catch them if they’re caught slipping, what would happen to Dolce & Gabbana? A one-on-one fight is very different than a gang-up. While the beauty sector of the brand appears to be thriving, that wasn’t its founding premise. Dolce & Gabbana didn’t start out as a beauty house that later expanded into ready-to-wear, the way Estée Lauder or Lancôme built fragrance and cosmetics empires first. It started as a fashion house rooted in Sicilian identity and Italian culture. If Beauty becomes the brand’s primary lifeline going forward, that’s not diversification — it’s an abandonment of the very mission D&G was built on.
Fashion history has shown us what it looks like when a brand has lost its way. Moreover, the unfiltered editorial comments by Stefano Gabbana certainly do not add value to the brand’s identity but might be adding to the “L” on the P&L.
Is controversy a part of the Dolce & Gabbana brand ethos? A question worth considering as the brand searches for a solid path forward.
