1985
A partnership in Milan
The designers launched their label in Milan. Domenico Dolce’s Sicilian background became a recurring source of imagery, developed through clothes, photography and accessories.
The House & Its Designers
Dolce & Gabbana
Milan · 1985
Sicilian references, expressive decoration and Italian tailoring.
Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana built their house around a highly recognisable vision of Italy. Lace, black tailoring, floral prints and ornate hardware connect the clothes to the bags.
12 photographs · Reviewed August 2026
Explore the history ↓
01 / The house
The story behind the name.
The signature
Sicily as a reference
Tailoring and decorative craft sit together in the collections. The structured Sicily bag carries that contrast into leather; the Devotion uses a separate, jewelled heart motif.
2012
Alta Moda
The Alta Moda project expanded the house’s work in elaborate, individually crafted clothes. Presentations across Italy tied the collections to particular places and traditions.
02 / The designers
The people who shaped the house.
Selected creative chapters; dates distinguish appointments from runway debuts.
Founders
Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabbana
Their shared vocabulary joins Sicilian references, tailoring and highly decorative surfaces.
03 / The bags
A vocabulary in leather and form.
A selection of the house’s designs. Resale photographs illustrate individual examples; size, finish and condition vary.
01
Devotion
A jewelled Sacred Heart clasp connects this bag to the house’s decorative vocabulary.
02
Lucia
A structured flap bag accented with prominent metal hardware.
03
Soft Sicily
A more supple interpretation of the Sicily top-handle bag.
04
Dolce Box
A rigid box bag used for elaborate decoration and contrasting materials.
05
Welcome
A structured top-handle design with distinctive clasp hardware.
More designs to know
- Sicily
- A structured top-handle bag with a curved flap and a front logo plaque.
- DG Girls
- An ornate DG emblem forms the focal point of this shoulder bag.
- Beatrice
- A practical leather tote from the house’s day-bag range.
- Miss Sicily
- A version of the house’s curved-flap top-handle silhouette.
- Lily
- A compact leather design from the house’s shoulder-bag collection.