In an official announcement released Friday, iconic Italian luxury fashion house Dolce & Gabbana confirmed that co-founder Stefano Gabbana has resigned from his position as chairman of the brand, though he will retain his core role as creative co-designer for the label he helped build nearly 40 years ago.
The 63-year-old designer’s exit from all corporate leadership roles took effect on January 1, a change the company framed as “a natural process of organisational and governance evolution”, according to its official statement.
Alfonso Dolce, chief executive officer of the brand and sibling to Gabbana’s long-time design partner Domenico Dolce, will take over the post of chairman, per a January corporate filing reviewed by Agence France-Presse. News of Gabbana’s leadership departure was first broken by financial news outlet Bloomberg, which also added further context to the brand’s current strategic moment.
Per Bloomberg’s reporting, Gabbana is currently exploring potential options for his 40 percent equity stake in the privately held fashion company, as the label enters fresh negotiations with banking lenders to refinance roughly 450 million euros ($525 million) in outstanding debt. When contacted for comment on the debt refinancing reports, a Dolce & Gabbana spokesperson declined to share additional details, noting only that discussions with financial partners remain ongoing.
The executive shake-up at Dolce & Gabbana comes as the broader global luxury sector faces sustained headwinds: over the past several years, shifting consumer spending patterns and economic uncertainty have squeezed profit margins and growth outlooks for many of the world’s top high-end fashion brands.
Despite the corporate changes, Gabbana remains fully embedded in the brand’s creative identity. Most recently, he and Domenico Dolce appeared together on the Milan Fashion Week runway following the label’s February 2024 women’s ready-to-wear show, joining special guest Madonna for the traditional designer bow.
Founded in Milan by Gabbana and Dolce in 1985, Dolce & Gabbana has grown into one of the fashion industry’s most enduring and successful creative partnerships. Drawing on Domenico Dolce’s Sicilian heritage to craft distinctive, figure-hugging silhouettes and bold, culturally rooted designs, the brand has cultivated a loyal A-list clientele that ranges from pop icon Madonna to Italian screen legend Monica Bellucci.