Dolce & Gabbana co-founder quits as chair of fashion house
Stefano Gabbana will remain in creative roles after stepping aside from management.
Stefano Gabbana with Madonna at the Dolce & Gabbana women's ready-to-wear fall-winter 2026 fashion show in Milan. (Photo: AFP/Miguel Medina)
Dolce & Gabbana co-founder Stefano Gabbana has resigned as chair of the Italian luxury brand as the company braces for talks with its lenders.
The fashion house, known for its maximalist interpretation of Italian style, has suffered in a prolonged global downturn in the luxury sector, while geopolitical tensions and war in the Middle East have further dented consumer confidence.
Gabbana stepped down from his management functions on January 1 “as part of a natural evolution of its organisational structure and governance”, the company said in a statement on Friday. He will remain in his creative roles.
“These resignations have no impact whatsoever on the creative activities carried out by Stefano Gabbana on behalf of the group,” it said, adding it had “no statement to make at this time” on the negotiations with the banks.
Founded in 1985, Dolce & Gabbana has been one of the world’s top fashion brands, known for its opulent Alta Moda couture shows, Sicilian-inflected black lace designs and silhouette-moulding corset dresses.
Gabbana and co-founder Domenico Dolce each own a 40 per cent stake in the privately held business through a holding company, with other members of the Dolce family owning most of the rest. Dolce and Gabbana ended their romantic relationship in the early 2000s, but have remained business partners and creative collaborators.
Beloved by the Kardashian sisters and Madonna, the Dolce & Gabbana luxury lifestyle empire extends beyond fashion to fragrances, cosmetics, homeware and eyewear.
Last month, the company announced it had extended its licence agreement with EssilorLuxottica to produce and distribute its glasses until 2050.
The brand has also courted controversies over the decades and has been accused of racism in the past, an issue that resurfaced in January when it was widely criticised for having an all-white cast of models for a menswear show. Neither Dolce nor Gabbana commented on their decision following the backlash.
By Adrienne Klasa and Elizabeth Paton © 2026 The Financial Times
This article originally appeared in The Financial Times.
