Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana has appointed former Gucci chief executive Stefano Cantino as co-chief executive, in a leadership reshuffle as the luxury brand navigates financial pressure and a prolonged downturn in global demand.
Cantino will work alongside Alfonso Dolce, who has also been serving as chairman since co-founder Stefano Gabbana stepped down in January. The company said the appointment is part of a broader effort to strengthen management as it seeks to reposition itself beyond fashion into a wider lifestyle brand.
“I am delighted to have Stefano Cantino by my side in this new phase of growth and development of Dolce & Gabbana,” Alfonso Dolce said in a statement. Alfonso Dolce is the brother of co-founder Domenico Dolce.
Cantino joins Dolce & Gabbana at a difficult moment for the Milan-based brand, which is facing debt refinancing challenges alongside weakening luxury demand. In the 2024–2025 fiscal year, the company reported a net loss of €143 million ($167 million).
The appointment marks another turn in Cantino’s turbulent recent career in top-tier luxury management. He briefly served as chief executive of Gucci at the start of 2025, tasked with helping revive the struggling brand, but was replaced just nine months later during a broader leadership overhaul led by Luca de Meo, the new CEO of French luxury group Kering.
Before his short tenure at Gucci, Cantino spent five years at LVMH-owned Louis Vuitton as head of image and communications. He also spent two decades at Prada Group, where he rose through roles in marketing and communications, ultimately becoming director of communications and marketing.
Dolce & Gabbana said the appointment reflects its ongoing organisational restructuring as it aims to evolve “from a fashion brand to a lifestyle company.”
Founded in 1985 by Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, the Milan-based label remains one of Italy’s most recognisable luxury houses but is now contending with broader industry headwinds and internal transformation.
Boluwatife Enome
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