Simply Abu Dhabi Magazine XXI

6 4 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I Simply Abu Dhabi: Lovely meeting you both and thank you for the opportunity and your time. Before we get into the past and the future of Dolce & Gabbana, let’s talk about the present and your high-profile entry into the abaya and hijab fashion industry. The Abaya & Hijab Collection Can you explain a little more about your journey into the highly anticipated abaya range? SG: We have already created special collections for countries like China, Russia, Brazil and Mexico. And we now wanted to create something also for the women of the Middle East and the Arab community, taking into consideration the local taste and adding our Italian touch. DD: We like the idea of dressing women all around the world. What and who inspired the designs? DD: We tried to get close to the local style according to the Dolce & Gabbana aesthetics. We used classical Dolce & Gabbana elements, such as the lace and the white dots, and elements of the SS16 collection like the daisies, the red roses and the lemons. SG: We carried out a lot of research for this project. We wanted to make sure that we understood the local taste and, while respecting it, translate it through the most iconic elements of our brand. We took the Middle Eastern style and added a touch of ‘Italianità’. We also took into consideration the elements of the common imagery linked to the Middle East and we transformed them into nuances and embroideries: the colours of the sand and of the desert dunes, the colours of the sky and the scent of spices at the bazaars. TheHeart&Soul ofDolce&Gabbana Simply Abu Dhabi Co-Founders Arnie S Hira & Jordana Lynch get up close and personal with two of the world’s most recognised designers, Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabbana, to talk about the past, the present and the future.