Next Big Thing

Italian Luxury House Dolce & Gabbana Has Established A Tradition Of Supporting Emerging Designers. Japanese Designer Tomo Koizumi Was The Latest To Reap The Benefits Of This Mentorship, And The Results Were Showcased With A Beautiful Presentation At This Year's Milan Fashion Week

- JAMIE LEE

Starting a fashion brand on your own isn’t easy. New designers looking to get a foot into the industry often lack resources, business knowledge or the connections needed to secure opportunities to get their work out there. While social media and online platforms like Up Next Designer or Diet Prada definitely help, independent labels still face issues like funding and acquiring the physical space and tools to craft quality garments. This is where major fashion houses can, and often do, step up.

One such house is Dolce & Gabbana, who has established something of a tradition of supporting the next generation of fashion, having previously helped rising designers like Miss Sohee and Matty Bovan. The founders of the Italian luxury house Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana don’t just provide a platform and resources such as materials and space, they also mentor and nurture these talents.