L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 10 THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2016 L'Italo-Americano LIFE PEOPLE MOVIES MUSIC BOOKS S ome say beauty is simple. But others contend it's complicated. Can it be both? To enter into the sensuous curves of a Dolce & Gabbana design is to experience a compli- cated kind of beauty, like explor- ing the majestic landscape of Sicily with its Baroque towns, monasteries, quiet roads, rich soil flourishing with orange and lemon plantations, its white sand beaches. The iconic couture house lit- erally portrays Sicilian Baroque through expressive, sexy clothes that have the energy and imagi- nation of the s outh of Italy, where the architecture takes the most complex forms — a style that even "baroq ued" the Baroque, adding extra elaborate ornamentation to facades of buildings. Co-founders Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana enter their office in Milan in the company of their tw o Labradors , one black and one chocolate. They instantly create a friendly and playful atmosphere. I reached the famed Italian des ign duo at their office, a dense, voluptuously furnished living room the pair uses for meetings. Deep burgundy and gold decorate the walls, with as s orted large paintings all over. One in particular catches The Sicilian Connection: Dolce & Gabbana's Inspiration has gone Global my eye because it resembles the composition of the "Madonna del Cardellino" by Raphael. But this bizarre version is by the pop artist Giuseppe Veneziano who depicted a peculiar Madonna with the head of the entertain- m e n t s t a r M a d o n n a L o u i s e Veronica Ciccone. At her feet, two babies are frolicking, but not a little Jesus with little St. John the Baptist, as portrayed in Raphael's masterpiece. Instead, the kids here have the heads of Stefano and Domenico. The iconic duo met in 1980 in Milan when both were work- ing as assistants for designer Giorgio Correggiari. Domenico Dolce, 58, the son of a tailor, is Sicilian, while Stefano Gabbana, the son of a factory worker, was b o r n i n M i l a n 5 4 y e a r s a g o . They became Dolce & Gabbana in 1982. The Milanese fashion house had brought back the bustier, corsetry and black lace, reveling in carefully calibrated erotic innuendo. But Messrs Dolce and Gabbana define their strong and sexy style as "classic." "We try to be an evolving tra- dition. We work always starting from a classical aesthetic," they say. D o l c e & G a b b a n a c o u n t s almost 250 boutiques around the world, 18 of which are in the US where the market is certainly a dynamic market of great impor- t a n c e b o t h f o r t h e m a n d t h e entire fashion industry. Your Fall 2016 collection is a c o m p e n d i u m o f p r i n c e s s f a i r y - t a l e f a n t a s i e s . Y o u a s s e r t e d t h a t w o m e n a r e p r i n c e s s e s . W h a t d o y o u mean? D D : T o d a y ' s w o m a n i s a princess who yearns for love but also wants more independence and autonomy. Our new collec- tion is a blast of contrast. There is constant affirmation and nega- t i o n ( f o r e x a m p l e , g l i t t e r i n g jackets designed with a structure cinched at the waist, fibrous yet light fabrics) and opposites do in f a c t a t t r a c t . F o r t h i s f a l l w e made oversized jackets, decon- structed coats, slim volumes, big volumes. Imagination, absolute creativity and new handcrafted working processes are dominant. Every collections involves and implies a lot of research." S G : N e w p r i n c e s s e s a r e today's girls. Constantly chang- ing their look, they creatively experiment with fashion during the day and also the evening. Fashion makes women dream — this is the service fashion gives." Your high couture credo is summed up in the 3S motto: "Sicily, Sartorial, Sensual." Is that the secret of your success? DD: "The three 'S' motto that you describe is a summary of what we are and what we feel. Sicily is in our DNA and repre- sents all the heart and passion w e p u t i n e v e r y t h i n g w e d o , e s p e c i a l l y i n t e r m s o f w o r k . Sicily was our very first dream and love that we translated into a modern all-embracing aesthetic. Sartorial is the art that nurtures our clothes and the meticulous- ness regarding our way of work- ing. Sensuality is also part of our fashion house's genetic code and our vision on life. The secret of our success is in the investiga- tion and celebration of our roots, our passion for the Italian cul- ture: the warmth, hospitality, importance of family, food and ritual, which lend integrity to our aesthetic. It is a fact that we are inspired by Italian women. They remain our muses, with t h e i r p a s s i o n a t e s e n s u a l i t y : s t r o n g w o r k i n g w o m e n a n d maternal figures. Sophia Loren f r o m t h e p a s t a n d M o n i c a Bellucci nowadays, represent Italian femininity." SG: "Sicily is a land of most ancient cultures and certainly a source of constant inspiration. G r e e k s , A r a b s a n d N o r m a n s have all contributed to the charm of this magnificent island that maintains its DNA despite the passing of time. We consider our collections this way as well: as a continuous evolution, a laborato- ry of ideas without forgetting our roots." It can be a dress, a lipstick, a liquid foundation or a purse. L o t s o f c e l e b r i t i e s , f r o m Beyoncé to Scarlett Johansson, f r o m M o n i c a B e l l u c c i t o Madonna or Kylie Minogue, l o v e t o w e a r D o l c e & G a b b a n a . B u t h o w d o y o u manage to fascinate common women around the world? DD: "We always liked the idea of dressing women from all over the world but maintain our ideal woman and man when we design our collections. Italian beauty is always on our minds." MARIELLA RADAELLI Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce by Julian Broad2RGB

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