Since the beginning, Dolce and Gabbana has consistently been our top-sold brand for women and men

But why?

The label may not be the height of trendiness, but it is consistent and sticks to what it does best—classically sexy cuts, vibrant prints and colors, and an emphasis on opulence.

Consistency vs. Newness

In the fast-paced world of designer and luxury fashion, trends come and go, repeat themselves over time, and this cycle has only increased with the proliferation of social media and online shopping. What’s more, the industry has cultivated a game of musical chairs for designers and creative directors in order to fulfill consumer desire for novelty.

The constant need for newness can exhaust the creativity of any one creative head, and thus necessitates a regular reappointment of new creative leadership. This is why names like Hedi Slimane, Raf Simons, and Riccardo Tisci—a sort of class of ‘fashion change agents’—have been associated with multiple labels over time. Between the three: Saint Laurent, Celine, Jil Sander, Dior, Calvin Klein, Prada, Givenchy, and Burberry.

These are all (also) brands owned by parent companies that are publicly-traded, meaning they have additional revenue and growth targets that private companies do not.

Dolce and Gabbana, on the other hand, has been controlled and creatively led by its two founders from the beginning: Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. Since 1985, the pair and their wildly successful label have stuck to a successful formula of ladylike Italian elegance, velvety opulence, and raw sex appeal. In 2018, their revenue hit €1.29 billion.

Dolce & Gabbana Size Chart

Dolce and Gabbana: Common Threads

Throughout the history of Dolce and Gabbana, some foundational themes have emerged. Early collections from the duo were inspired by real women, with an eye to function as well as form. The ‘Sicilian Dress’ debuted as part of the fourth Dolce & Gabbana collection, and stands today as one of the label’s main hallmarks and design pillars.

Over the decades, the designers have taken inspiration from nature and the raw beauty of their native Italy (Dolce is from Sicily, Gabbana is from Lombardy), with myriad bold floral prints, animal patterns, prints inspired by tile work, and other motifs related to royalty, history, and immersive art forms like cinema.

Of course, the label also does simple really well too, like tuxedos, little black dresses, and men’s dress shoes. We are partial to their formal items with a twist, though.

A Comprehensive Offering

Today, the Dolce and Gabbana line spans offerings for women, men, and kids, with every product category covered. From formal attire to loungewear, Dolce and Gabbana has applied their unique perspective to interpret garments for every occasion.

Like Versace and Giorgio Armani—peers that were also launched in Italy in the 1980s to great fanfare and success—Dolce and Gabbana has adhered to a winning aesthetic point of view, grown slowly but steadily, and remained highly in-demand.

We have a considerable Dolce and Gabbana selection because of our partnership with 200+ of Italy’s best independent boutiques. Many of these independently-run, locally-owned stores are the first retail locations that established wholesale accounts with the fledgling line in the late 1980s and early 1990s, bringing the label’s wares to the masses all over Italy and the world.

We’re proud to have Dolce and Gabbana as our top-sold label, and find it apropos that it’s a name synonymous with Italian style—a status we hope to one day achieve. We’re an American company, but one with a strong connection to the retail landscape in Italy, and the unique value of aggregating Italy’s best retail buyers all in one place online.

Discover more popular labels on italist: Celine, DRKSHDW, and Sergio Rossi.

About the Author

Alex English is the Head of Content Marketing at italist.com, building on a lifelong passion for fashion and luxury. After publishing a lifestyle blog for nearly ten years and obtaining an MBA in Milan at SDA Bocconi, one of Europe’s top business schools, he joined the italist team in 2019. His work since then has focused on upper-funnel messaging, brand storytelling, establishing italist as a thought leader in the space, and enriching the customer experience on the platform. Find him on LinkedIn.