NETJETS US VOLUME 9 2019

owners profile
and Stefano Gabbana have plenty of
confidence to do this.
Both designers sum up the advantage of
this independent status—and spirit—in one
word: freedom. “Being free allows us to express
our creativity without any constraint, the most
important aspect of our work as designers,”
they say. “It’s essential and has allowed us to
build our message, a narrative that is clearly
reflected in our collections.” This aesthetic is
based, according to Dolce, on “contrast – our
style results from opposites coming together.
We mix different shapes and styles, exploring
all possible alternatives. On one side we have
the corset, black sheath dresses, lace skirts, all
very sensual. On the other side there are the
men’s-cut clothes, T-shirts and sneakers.”
Gabbana sees it more as an expression of
Italian culture. “Our design DNA is a mix of
elements based on our history of love, passion
for Italy, fashion, culture and the family,” he
says. Rather than being interested in fashion
trends, he says, “we create clothes and
accessories that talk about us and our love
for life. We keep up with what is happening:
we research, we look for new and different
fabrics, we read, but above all we are inspired
by life, people and love.” Travel is another
creative driving force: “It makes us dream,”
they say and appreciate how their status as
NetJets Owners helps cater to this desire.
Despite being outside the all-powerful
fashion combines, through judicious
partnerships with manufacturers Dolce
& Gabbana has built a full-scale fashion
empire that includes handbags, shoes,
sunglasses, perfumes and cosmetics, and
watches and jewelry. It also includes, in a
very unorthodox move, its Alta Moda, the
Italian equivalent of haute couture—oneoff,
hand-made, often elaborate items, fitted
and sometimes totally designed for one
client and never repeated exactly for another.
It is a time-consuming and very costly
operation that many houses treat more as a
promotional necessity. Traditional couture
”Alta Moda allows us to
push our creativity to the extreme
– we never have limits”
MONICA FEUDI
30 NetJets