Simply Abu Dhabi Magazine XXI

6 8 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I We notice Domenico is not on Instagram – any particular reason why? DD: I like to keep my life private and share my life with people around me. Which celebrities do you believe are the most influential? DD: In the 1950s the world was dominated by the Hollywood divas, the 1970s was the time of musicians and in the 1990s there were the supermodels. Now there are a lot of young models, singers, influencers that come and go. I still believe in the power of talent. Has social media affected your growth as a brand and if so how? SG: We do not have numbers to prove this or the contrary. As any brand is witnessing, the communication is increasing via social media, therefore the brand has certainly gained visibility, in good and in bad. What do you love about social media? SG: It brings you closer to people and it’s entertaining, it’s fun! What don’t you like about social media? SG: Judgements that are easily given and unconstructive critiques. The future: what’s next? What projects are you currently working on? DD: We have a lot of projects going on. We just finished three days of Alte Artigianalità shows, which is our high fashion response to our clients’ couture demands. We are now finishing off the new FW16 women’s collection. We have worked on capsule collections – both regional ones, like the abayas for theMiddle East, or global like the special Pyjama collection. We just launched a new fragrance called Rosa Excelsa and we are working on the new kids’ line. As you can see, we have a lot going on in so many different fields! Have you ever considered a cinematic documentary about Dolce &Gabbana, or a day in the life of Dolce & Gabbana for television? DD: We stick to fashion for the moment. That’s what we love and we do best. We love documentaries and we love cinema so we let the expert do their jobs. Do you discuss the future of Dolce & Gabbana with one another? SG: Of course we do. We take every decision together. Whenever one of us has an idea we share it with each other, and if one doesn’t agree we always work to find a solution that makes us both happy. DD: It is always worth it to hear someone else’s opinion. Stefano and I always discuss everything together. Every kingdom needs a new King and Queen to assume control of the realm. What kind of person would you want to take over the Dolce & Gabbana empire? SG: We know that we won’t be able to work all our lives but, at the moment, retiring seems still far away. Lifestyle How do you spend your ‘free’ time? SG: Our work takes up most of our time, while at weekends we like to go to the seaside or the mountains, according to the season. DD: We do have a very normal kind of life: we see our friends and family, we go to the movies, we read and relax. SG: …and we travel as much as we can. We are very curious and only by travelling you get to know things. What do you like to buy yourselves? Cars, boats, clothes, accessories, perfumes, underwear, or something else? DD: We like to invest in art. SG: Travelling. What kind of music do you listen to? SG, DD: Pop music and old Italian revival songs. The happy ones that all generations know. What is your all-time favourite movie? SG: Fellini’s La Dolce Vita. DD: The Gattopardo by Luchino Visconti. Who is your favourite actor? DD, SG: Sophia Loren, Anna Magnani, Marcello Mastroianni. What watch do you wear? SG: Our own watches. Last but not least, our signature final question. Although we have asked you once before, subsequent to our last interview, we ourselves have evolved exponentially as a brand. So, can you tell us what you now think of the Simply Abu Dhabi publication as a means of luxury communication? DD: We like the intimate feeling Simply Abu Dhabi has with its readers. We like the personal approach, which is what we try to have also with our clients. SG: It really talks to its readers. It’s regional yet global. We love the quality of its pages.