Stefano Cantino Becomes Co-CEO of Dolce & Gabbana

After a brief stint at the helm of Gucci, the Italian executive has been given a new opportunity to turn around an iconic Italian fashion house. He will be able to draw on the expertise he gained at Prada and Louis Vuitton.

Already the subject of rumors, the appointment of Stefano Cantino, the former short-lived CEO of Gucci, as co-CEO of Dolce&Gabbana (D&G), has been confirmed.

He will serve alongside Alfonso Dolce, who has also held the role of chairman since Stefano Gabbana stepped down from that position last January. The co-founder of the Milan-based fashion house, alongside Domenico Dolce in 1985, has, however, retained his creative role.

A New Phase of Growth for Dolce & Gabbana

In a statement, Alfonso Dolce, Domenico’s brother, said he was “delighted” to have Stefano Cantino “by his side in this new phase of growth and development for Dolce & Gabbana.”

“A graduate in political science from the University of Turin, Stefano Cantino joins Dolce & Gabbana after gaining solid professional experience at companies such as Prada, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci, where he held positions of increasing global responsibility in various fields,” D&G noted in a statement.

Stefano Cantino’s career at fashion houses belonging to major luxury groups (notably Kering and LVMH) will enable him to bring a structured vision to the Italian company, which remains family-owned.

A long stint at Prada, a shorter one at Louis Vuitton, and a brief one at Gucci

Stefano Cantino spent two decades, from 1998 to 2018, at his compatriot, the Prada group, first as marketing director, then as director of communications and external relations for the group, and finally as director of communications, marketing, and business development for the group.

From 2018 to 2024, for nearly six years, he joined LVMH as Senior Vice President of Communications and Events at Louis Vuitton.

This was before he was appointed in early 2025 to the general management of Gucci, which was then in the midst of a turnaround. His tenure, however, was short-lived, as after only nine months in the role, he was replaced by Francesca Bellettini, previously Deputy CEO of Kering, in charge of developing the group’s fashion houses. Stefano Cantino was the victim of a management shake-up led by Luca De Meo, who had just taken the helm of the French luxury group.

By joining Dolce & Gabbana, Stefano Cantino has a new opportunity to get a prestigious Italian fashion house back on track, one that is also facing financial difficulties and seeking a fresh start.

Toward a Lifestyle Company

“Stefano Cantino’s arrival is part of Dolce & Gabbana’s growth trajectory, driven by the evolution of its organizational model, which has transitioned from a fashion brand to a lifestyle company,” the group emphasized in its press release.

“It is an honor for me to join Dolce & Gabbana, a brand that represents Italian excellence around the world,” said Stefano Cantino.

His mission, however, will be anything but smooth sailing.

Delicate financial situation

Stefano Dolce’s recent departure from the group’s presidency has indeed come amid a delicate financial situation for the company. After already receiving a €450 million injection last year, it is reportedly now seeking to raise another €150 million in fresh capital…

Stefano Gabbana is reportedly considering selling his 40% stake himself. Domenico Dolce holds a similar stake, with the remaining 20% in the hands of other members of the Dolce family.

According to the media outlet Meet & Match, Stefano Cantino’s appointment “comes amid increased pressure on independent fashion houses.”

“Faced with players like LVMH or Kering, capable of weathering economic cycles and investing heavily in distribution networks, the issue is no longer solely one of creativity or image, but of the ability to execute at scale without diluting the brand’s identity,” the publication notes, “Within this framework, Alfonso Dolce embodies the group’s entrepreneurial continuity and heritage, while Cantino brings the ability to industrialize the model.”

Rigorous execution strategies

According to the media outlet, “the challenge for the duowill be to transform a house historically founded on creative intuition into an organization capable of steering its growth with precision, particularly in high-potential regions,” namely “Asia, the Middle East, and certain growth pockets in North America.” For these regions, in fact, require “extremely rigorous execution strategies: mastery of clienteling, operational excellence in flagship stores, and alignment of local activations with a global strategy.”

During the 2024–2025 fiscal year (ending in late March), Dolce & Gabbana reportedly achieved revenue growth of approximately +4% to around €1.9 billion. However, the privately held company also suffered a significant net loss, ranging between €117 million and €143 million depending on the source.