Vogue Festival Round-up Part 1 - Dolce & Gabbana

Stefano & Domenico before taking to the stage at Vogue Fest

Last Friday I was lucky enough to bag myself an afternoon ticket to the first ever Vogue Festival (see this post for an overview).

First on the agenda for the afternoon was Alexandra Shulman herself in conversation with Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabbana. I had little idea what to expect - the conversation was untitled (the only event in the two-day programme to not give away at least a small hint of what was to come) & the pair are known for being a little - shall we say - spontaneous.

All was revealed, however, when we entered the theatre at the Royal Geographic Society to find a small concertina of post-cards on our seats, featuring the words Amore, Famiglia & Italianità. 

Here's the eponymous pair on the three things that make up all that is Dolce & Gabbana - Love, Family & that all important Italian Spirit, plus a few other things Alex Shulman got them to spill the beans on:

Famiglia

Dolce & Gabbana is not a job. They didn’t want to become rich, or famous, they say – “it is about love. We love to work, and to work with these people. It’s a family”

Amore

Love, for ever profound Domenico, is energy, power - “around the world”. He spoke about the 27 years for which the pair have worked together, that to constantly make something new, something with a positive energy, through the bad as well as the good, is hard. Stefano then told how many people are jealous of the way in which they began the company, and of the fact that just because they are no longer a couple in the romantic sense, doesn't mean they have to cease being a couple in every other sense too.

Italianità

Domenico talked a lot about how Italy is their DNA, their inspiration for everything, how family is very important to everyone in italy, and this is our ambition about life – they love families, they want to share a sense of love & togetherness with each other, with their employees, with the world.

Cutting their D&G label, despite it’s commercial success

D – It creates confusion.

S – For us, a big label has only one symbol. Chanel, Gucci…there is no reason for us to have both. D&G is the symbol of Dolce & Gabbana. People Called us crazy, because it made a lot of money, but this is what we need.

Each other

S – We are a family. We are in love in a different way to before, but still in love. We are family.

D – We have a better level of understanding of eachother, now we are separate..we have a better tolerance.

Madonna

D – She is a woman – she is mature, she is a mother – to us, she is one of only two or three real icons. She is one woman.

S – She is every woman.

Dolce - "for me, it is my religion - all that exists. Fashion - & Pasta."

For Dolce & Gabbana, there is nothing else in the world other than fashion – everything runs into it, and everything stems from it. When, inevitably, the pair step down from the creative helm of the business, how will the brand continue to survive without this infallible driving force behind it?

More Vogue Fest to follow soon, including Mary Portas & Pixie Geldoff on whether fashion has an age limit, plus Stella McCartney interviewed by long-time BFF & Oscar nominee Kate Hudson.