Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana are portrayed in a dramatic visual representation of their lives. Image credit: Dolce & Gabbana
Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana is bringing consumers into the personal story of founders Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana through a dramatic film campaign.
Shot by Academy Award-winning director Giuseppe Tornatore, “The Strength of Connections” illustrates the story of how the two designers grew up, crossed paths and built a storied fashion house together. The campaign intends to underpin the power and importance of human relationships, overcoming adversity and achieving one’s goals.
Strength of connection
The designers’ paths first crossed over the telephone in 1980 and in 1984. With a limited budget and a shared passion for fashion design, they launched what would eventually become a renowned Italian brand.
The short cinematic narrative opens with two young boys, in their separate lives, beginning to see the beauty in art and design from a young age.
One is enamored by the sculptures inside an Italian cathedral and the other watches tailors at work in their studios.
Two young boys with big dreams grow up and join together to achieve their goals
Moving along a visual timeline, the film jumps to the boys in their teenage years, where one is shown forming structures out of clay and the other one is drawing sketches and sewing materials together.
“Dreams have the power to connect us to the future,” a narrator says. “They transmit the energy that comes from desire.
“But sometimes our dreams connect with someone else’s,” he continues as the film shows a young man picking up the phone to make a call. “And together they conquer the world.”
That one phone call marked the start of their journey together as Dolce & Gabbana. The real-life Domenico and Stefano are shown in their present-day studio, approving designs and working with artisans.
View this post on Instagram
Behind the scenes of the short film
The film campaign is accompanied by an unpublished instrumental piece by Academy Award-winning composer Ennio Morricone.
Dolce & Gabbana has worked with Mr. Tornatore on a number of campaigns, but the Italian filmmaker is best known for his film Cinema Paradiso, which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 1989.
Dreams turned reality
The story of Dolce & Gabbana serves as a reminder that dreams can become engrained in one’s mind at such a young age, and that nurturing young talent and ability is critical to the fashion and design industry.
In February, the Italian house committed to fostering the next generation of fashion designers and creatives by supporting emerging brand Miss Sohee in its debut at Milan Fashion Week.
As part of this dedication to lifting up young designers, South Korean designer Sohee Park presented her newest Miss Sohee collection inside the Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda studio on Feb. 24. Accompanying the project was a dedicated film that invited audiences inside Ms. Park’s world, her inspiration and her creative process (see story).
In its ongoing #DGRealPeople campaign, the brand spotlights young architects, sales managers, fashion creatives, photographers and models in various cities, praising creativity and individuality — core principals of the fashion house.
The series follows young people who discuss their passions and how living in their respective cities fuels their personal and career-oriented goals (see story).