The History of D&G

D&G stands for Dolce & Gabbana, the high-end Italian fashion empire, started by the now powerhouse couple Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. Presented to the public in 1985, and inspired by Anna Magnani and Sophia Loren, this brand has been iconic to the fashion industry since they opened their first store in 1986.
Once popular for designing swimming costumes and underwear, in the late 1980s Dolce & Gabbana began exporting products to the U.S., Japan and other countries. In 1992 they introduced their first perfume and by 1996 they won an Oscar for the best male fragrance. By the late 1990s, Dolce & Gabbana's sales were approximately $500 million. By 2003, this number had increased to a staggering $633.2 million.
The Dolce&Gabbana brand (without spaces) offers luxury items that are timeless, including eyewear, sunglasses, watches and purses. In fact, in 2010 Madonna did a joint venture with Dolce&Gabbana for a new series of sunglasses – MDG. Seductive, timeless Scarlett Johansson introduced their makeup line in April 2009. They also offer both men's and women's fragrances, including the bestseller The One.
D & G is a casual line with urban influence and inspiration. They attempt to be trendsetters instead of simply following the latest fashions. They sell watches and clothing, as well as more high-energy lines. Their trademarks include corsets and bra fastenings as clothing, printed coats and gangster-style pinstripe suits. Their female ads are always classic black and white advertisements in high-end fashion magazines.
Dolce & Gabbana is known for animal prints as well as a select style of controversial advertising campaigns, including a 2007 ad that highlighted models holding knives. In fact, Spain and Italy actually banned an advertisement of a woman's body being held down by a man, which Dolce & Gabbana claimed was to highlight the products the model was wearing. Debonair Magazine followed suit, dubbing the advertisement "a glorification of gang rape." It was then declared "one of the most controversial advertisements in fashion history."
Cult followers of Dolce & Gabbana include Hollywood heavyweights, such as Madonna, the Beckhams and even Sophia Loren. Dolce & Gabbana strives to celebrate the beautiful curves of women's bodies, a homage to this sultry style that gripped Italy in the late 1980s. Now, the number one fashion designer for Hollywood, they have evolved into a ready-to-wear company and are among the most popular and financially stable fashion moguls worldwide.