Dolce & Gabbana mixes it up as pressure mounts for turnaround

Earlier this week Jennifer Lopez walked down the Vogue World catwalk in Milan wearing a black beaded A-line bustier dress from Dolce & Gabbana. On Saturday, she sat in the front row at the Italian house’s womenswear show in a three piece velvet suit from the same brand, her look topped off with a baker-boy cap.

The reminder of Dolce & Gabbana’s inimitable celebrity connection is no coincidence. In a turbulent luxury market, the brand has found itself trying to navigate a nearly £400m debt pile.

In August, the company, embroiled in controversy over the years, reached an agreement with its banks that gave it until March 2028 to settle its debt.

In exchange for the waiver, the brand must carry out a series of “extraordinary corporate transactions”, which reportedly include the sale of some of its properties.

It is one of the few fashion houses that remains independent. Gucci and Bottega Veneta are owned by the French conglomerate Kering while Fendi has been absorbed by LVMH.

With pressure mounting for a turnaround, especially if the company wants to remain in control, Saturday’s “Stravaganza Siciliana” show offered the brand two opportunities.

The first was to remind its existing fans of its legacy rooted in Italian identity. The second was to outline its vision of the new gen Z customer it needs to attract to remain relevant and jump-start sales.

A voiceover spoke of women rooting through the wardrobes of their mothers and grandmothers. “Women today do not look at it as though it were a museum,” read the script. “They try things on, layer and mix. Grandmother dresses granddaughter.”

On the catwalk this translated into antique inspired lace and crochet dresses and skirts styled with cropped tweed jackets and masses of jewellery. Less Sicilian widow, more upbeat ragazza, denim was a particular focus with low-slung jeans teamed with everything from baby D&G-emblazoned T-shirts to sheer pussybow blouses.

The brand’s signature molto maximalist mood was also in full swing with beading and embellishment galore. One pair of jeans was smothered in dangling crucifixes and devotional medals. In place of buttons, jackets were fastened with euro-sized sparkling jewels.

Elsewhere, leopard print appeared across both croc leather coats and miniskirts that the design duo described as rising “against decorum.” Stefano Gabbana, who stepped down as chair at the beginning of the year, took his bow in a leopard print shirt, next to his design partner of 41 years, Domenico Dolce, who wore all black. According to reports, Gabbana is weighing options for his share of the company, which amounts to almost 40%.