Dolce & Gabbana taps DJ Khaled for eye-catching collection

March 17, 2021

Record producer DJ Khaled has partnered with Dolce & Gabbana for a bright, eye-catching collection. Image courtesy of Dolce & Gabbana

By Katie Tamola

Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana is celebrating its new capsule collection with record producer DJ Khaled with an intimate and upbeat short film.

The three-minute vignette shows DJ Khaled, born Khaled Mohamed Khaled, modeling the collection in what the brand describes as Miami’s urban style meeting the Mediterranean atmosphere. Throughout the film, the record producer also elaborates in discussing the inspirations behind the streetwear line.

“With Dolce & Gabbana x Khaled Khaled, both brands are about entertaining others through their mediums, utilizing bright colors and great production value,” said Kimmie Smith, cofounder and creative director of Athleisure Mag, New York. “It’s a capsule collection that seems natural for these brands to come together.

“Dolce & Gabbana has had a long history in its use in music and specifically within hip-hop,” she said. “The collection is in keeping with a number of the pieces that we’re used to seeing DJ Khaled wearing as well, and his followers are used to seeing him in his home talking about projects he’s working on, so having the campaign shot there works as well.”

Dolce & Gabbana x Khaled Khaled
The film opens with shots of trees and necklaces that read the names of DJ Khaled’s children, set to the soundtrack of his music playing in the background. This instantly gives the vignette a personal feel.

The shot then cuts to DJ Khaled showing various pieces from the collection, highlighting the Dolce & Gabbana x Khaled Khaled label on each product.

The video shows the production team taking photos and filming assets of the music producer wearing the new products from the collection. DJ Khaled also looks through photographs that were taken earlier with the team.

Mr. Khaled discusses inspirations behind the campaign

Some of the products DJ Khaled models in the film are a nylon jacket with a floral and jungle print mix and a zip-up sweatshirt with a lion printed on a floral background.

Those pieces are available for purchase on the Dolce & Gabbana website and are priced at $1,345 and $1,225, respectively. The entire Dolce & Gabbana x Khaled Khaled collection includes jogging shorts, T-shirts, swim trunks, jackets and pillows in the two different prints as well as chain necklaces and bracelets.

The effort includes many disparate angles to highlight the features and specific detail of the products, including closeups of the lion print and the additional “We the best” patch sewn into each clothing product, a reference to DJ Khaled’s renowned catchphrase.

While wearing the nylon jacket with its floral and jungle print, DJ Khaled explains that a beautiful purple flower was one of the inspirations for the collection, which he ensured was reflected in the print of the nylon jacket.

Every clothing product from the collection features a "We the best" patch, a nod to the producer's renowned catchphrase. Image courtesy of Dolce & Gabbana

The film then cuts to the music producer in disparate poses modeling items from the collection and once again scrutinizing the photos with the production team. The photographer then begins taking photos of DJ Khaled once again in the zip-up sweatshirt with the lion print, this time with a closer shot of the two gold necklaces that have his sons’ names on them.

“Everyone knows I'm working on my album, but I wanted to put this collaboration out because I'm spreading that light and that love,” Mr. Khaled says at the end of the film.

Dolce & Gabbana and company
The Italian fashion house is no stranger to collaborating with some of the globe’s most famous faces, whether it be music producers or actors, for its fun and inviting campaigns.

In 2017, Dolce & Gabbana promoted men's fragrance The One with the help of “Game of Thrones” star Kit Harington in an upbeat narrative. The film is a companion piece to a campaign video for Dolce & Gabbana’s similarly named The One eau de toilette starring Mr. Harington’s Game of Thrones co-star Emilia Clarke (see story).

Dolce & Gabbana recently released a short film for its latest fragrance, Dolce Rose. The short film opens with a closeup of Italian actress Deva Cassel as she dances through the flower-lined streets of Bellagio, Italy to the soundtrack of Chelsea Grams' “Keep Up" (see story).

“This collection resonates with both groups of followers [of the fashion house and producer] whether you’re a fan of the fashion house directly or are looking for ways to luxe up your work from home style,” Ms. Smith said. “This is a perfect partnership and collaboration that looks like and is a natural fit and with only the two prints, it’s a cohesive assortment that could lay the groundwork for future capsules.”

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Dolce & Gabbana taps DJ Khaled for eye-catching collection

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