Stefano Gabbana (left) and Domenico Dolce (right)
7AM
Stefano Gabbana: The first thing I do when I wake up is take a cup of tea, a cup of coffee, and vitamins, and then I look at my dogs. I have three dogs, Rosa, Totò, and Mimmo, all Labradors.
Domenico Dolce: I also wake up around 7 – I am a creature of habit. I don’t wear pyjamas, but I put on a robe before getting dressed.
7.30AM
SG: I read the newspaper Corriere della Sera very quickly because soon after, I go to the gym. I work out for about 45 minutes; usually I run or do exercises like CrossFit, and three times a week after my workout I get a massage. When I come home I take a shower, never a bath. I have soap and shampoo from the pharmacy, and prescription face wash because I have very delicate skin. I wear more or less the same thing every day. I have one or two shapes of shirts, or T-shirts or jumpers in cashmere. I have maybe 25 jumpers. My pants are usually double- or single-pleated or denim, and sometimes I’ll wear a vest and always a Dolce & Gabbana yellow-gold watch. Domenico wears more T-shirts and jumpers and sneakers. I don’t wear sneakers. He is also crazy for jackets – blazers.
DD: I have 57 blazers and 30 pairs of sneakers, all Dolce. After a while I just send them to my personal archive and get new ones. Stefano used to buy other brands in the past, but now he has stopped, too.
SG: After getting dressed, I have breakfast with my dogs. I usually eat scrambled eggs and ham or fruit.
DD: My morning routine is quite common: I have breakfast at home while reading the newspaper, I take a shower, get dressed, a spray of cologne, and I am ready to go!
9.30AM
SG: I have a leather bag I take to the office; it’s like an envelope. I always bring my two iPhones and some medicine – something for my head – and some vitamins. Domenico doesn’t come with anything. He hates men’s bags. He puts everything in his jacket pocket. The office is close to my house, so in the winter I walk. If it’s raining I go by car, an Audi 7. Sometimes in the summer I come to the office on my scooter. Domenico walks all the time.
9.45AM
SG: The first thing I do when I come to work, I say hello to my dogs and give them one biscuit each. The butler takes them out to the park and drops them off at the office, so they are there waiting for me. They are very popular in the studio. They play all the time. They run around, up and down, left and right. The last one, Mimmo, is a puppy, seven months old. He has his own Instagram. Sometimes we listen to Italian music or pop or opera when we sketch. We don’t always agree. Sometimes Domenico is there before me, and he listens to rock in the morning. I say, “Listen, it’s not the day today. Can you switch it off?”
DD: I love to listen to pop all the time! I like to be updated on the new hits; I think it’s important for what we do. Among my favourites of all time is, of course, Madonna. But I also love Kylie, our little princess; Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, and Justin Bieber. And I listen to Italian pop music like Tiziano Ferro.
1PM
SG: We take a lunch break from 1 to 2. Sometimes we go out with friends, other times we stay in and eat in the lunch room. Usually we eat something light, like fish or meat with vegetables. Then we have coffee or tea. I drink three or four coffees a day and two ginger teas, and I smoke, though I try to keep it to a minimum. Domenico drinks more coffee than me, seven or eight – Italian people love coffee.
DD: I drink a lot. More or less 10 or 12 coffees a day, both typical Italian and espresso.
2PM
DD and SG: Some days we don’t have any meetings because we’re working on designs with our assistants. Some days we have five, six, or seven. Which one of us would look better in the crowns from our spring collection? We’d rather not find out.
6PM
DD and SG: We try not to leave later than 7, except during Fashion Week.
SG: Sometimes I go home and take a shower and play Monopoly on my iPad and watch movies; my favourite is Moulin Rouge.
9.30PM
DD: We are lucky because in Italy we are blessed with one of the most delicious cuisines in the world. If I have the time, I cook every night.
SG: He cooks pasta, he cooks meat, he cooks fish, he cooks potatoes, and a very special dish from Sicily. He’s a very good cook. One night a week I have dinner with my family. Usually it’s a Monday, and I’m with my mum and my dad. Domenico usually has a Sunday lunch with his big family. Probably three times a week I go out with friends and have a drink and dinner. I like to go to our restaurant, Gold, or Bianco Latte or Giacomo Bistrot, in Milan.
DD: When I go out I like to have a rose martini, but I also love red wine.
SG: After water my favourite drink is vodka. I like to eat pizza and spaghetti pomodoro, and I’m crazy for dessert. I like all of them: cassata, cheesecake, biscuits. Domenico is the same. We have a sweet tooth.
DD: Yes, I can’t resist sweets. I know I am not supposed to eat too much sweets, but still …
SG: I love to stay out, especially in summer. On Friday and Saturday nights I like to go to clubs, I try out different ones. We don’t usually go out together; we spend more time together when we have a vacation. We relax on our boat, we swim a lot – we love the sea! We do work out, as we have a small gym on board. During a normal week we basically live together at the office, so after work Domenico goes someplace, and I go another place.
DD: I go shopping when I can. I like modern furniture shops.
SG: He’s always changing his house. He changes the sofa and he changes the chair and he changes the dishes. Sometimes when I go to his house, I don’t recognise it. I cannot understand. He’s crazy for the house.
DD: Change is not the exact concept. Everything I do in my house is like an evolution.
SG: I collect dishes and angels. I have maybe 27 angels all around the house, and I have three towers full of plates.
DD: I love art, in particular, paintings. I have, well, a lot. I love [Piero] Fornasetti and Keith Haring. I also collect furniture – my favourite pieces are by Giò Ponti. At home I have a cat, Tommy, and a dog, Edera. They like to eat nuts.
SG: I love the Weather Channel because my mood changes a lot according to the weather!
11PM
SG: I take melatonin one hour before bed, and clean my face. I use face cream for the night. I think Domenico takes melatonin, too, but he doesn’t care about the face. He’s lazy. He sleeps in front of the TV.