Dolce & Gabbana was founded in Milan by Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana in 1985.
The designers presented their first collection under the Dolce & Gabbana name at Milan Fashion Week in 1985. Their partnership combined Dolce’s Sicilian background with Gabbana’s experience in Milan’s design scene, producing clothing that often drew on Mediterranean imagery, Italian cinema, and expressive femininity.
The company expanded from women’s ready-to-wear into menswear, accessories, eyewear, fragrances, cosmetics, and children’s clothing. Its visual identity has frequently incorporated lace, tailoring, leopard print, religious references, and strongly defined silhouettes, although individual collections vary considerably.
Dolce & Gabbana is sometimes shortened to “D&G,” but that name also referred to a separate diffusion line launched in 1994. The main luxury house is generally written as Dolce & Gabbana, with the ampersand connecting the two founders’ surnames.