Stefano Gabbana Steps Down as D&G Chairman as Debt Reports Swirl
Stefano Gabbana is stepping down as chairman of Dolce & Gabbana—four decades after launching the house with former partner Domenico Dolce. The 63-year-old cofounder’s resignation was announced Friday, April 10, but he’ll remain in the atelier, steering its creative vision.
Stefano Gabbana is stepping back from the boardroom at Dolce & Gabbana, but not from the sketchbook. After four decades building the label with Domenico Dolce, the designer is giving up his chairman-level posts — while staying exactly where most fans actually care about: the creative side.
What happened, and when
The company announced on Friday, April 10 that Gabbana has resigned from several corporate roles, with the change dating to January 1, 2026. If that timing sounds a little wonky, here is the simple version: he is out of the governance seats, not out of the brand.
What he is stepping away from
- Dolce & Gabbana Holding Srl
- Dolce & Gabbana Trademarks Srl
- Dolce & Gabbana Srl
The creative beat goes on
Company reps made a point of separating boardroom moves from runway reality, emphasizing that Gabbana is still steering the aesthetic.
"These resignations have no impact whatsoever on the creative activities carried out by Stefano Gabbana on behalf of the group."
Translation: the collections are still his.
Leadership shuffle
With Gabbana vacating those seats, Domenico Dolce’s brother, Alfonso Dolce, who is the company’s CEO, took on the chairman role in January. That keeps leadership tight within the founding circle.
Money, refinancing, and the rumor mill
Vogue noted chatter that Gabbana might unload his 40% stake in the business. The announcement did not touch that topic; it stuck to governance and creative duties.
On the financing front, Bloomberg reported that lenders are lining up as much as $175 million in fresh funding as part of a broader refinancing of roughly $525.7 million in debt. To help make the numbers work, executives have weighed selling some real estate and renewing licenses to bring in cash. The company’s only on-the-record comment about the debt piece: talks with banks are ongoing, and they are not ready to say more yet.
Meanwhile, on the runway
Gabbana was out front at the brand’s February show, where Madonna took the prime seat in the front row. The label’s star magnet still works: back in September 2025, Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci leaned into their The Devil Wears Prada personas at a D&G show — a crowd-pleasing wink for anyone who speaks fluent fashion-film lore.
Where the brand stands
Dolce & Gabbana still commands a massive audience — north of 30 million Instagram followers — and a product spread that runs from ready-to-wear and footwear to fine jewelry, watches, fragrance, and cosmetics. Boardroom titles may shuffle, but the house’s public-facing machine is very much still running.
Bottom line
Gabbana is leaving the corporate table, not the creative studio. Alfonso Dolce is now chairman, the bankers are working on a refinancing, and the shows keep drawing A-listers. If you care most about what hits the runway, the signal from D&G is clear: same designers, same vision.