Fashion duo Dolce and Gabbana see a bright future for fashion design in China, Xu Junqian reports.

Bubbling champagne. Dim lighting. Flashing cameras. Beautiful socialites dressed to the nines.

At first glance, it could be any fashion party in any bar or club in Shanghai. But off in one corner, two neatly dressed gentlemen have caused a big stir in the crowd.

Yes, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana are in town. They are listening to the opinions and "fashion attitudes" of the "most beautiful women in the world", as they describe the women in Shanghai - at least those they meet. Many of them are prepared to spend a lot of cash every month on their sassy leopard-printed bags and bling-bling dresses.

"We come here to meet people and understand what they are thinking," Gabbana says in an exclusive interview with China Daily.

In casual shirts and jeans, and trademark red socks, Gabbana and his partner in business (and once in life) look like serious businessmen, sitting in the mirrored showroom of their store at the Bund 6, amid a party of more than 500 people - at 9:15 in the morning.

"We want to learn what people here are thinking, why they are choosing this over that, and essentially, the Chinese culture," says Gabbana, in his Italian-accented English.

Seeing China's imminence as most important market in the world, the founders of one of the most recognized Italian fashion houses have flown over from Milan to China three times since their first visit last year.

"It's just like New York, London and Milan decades ago. And it's growing so quickly," says Gabbana.

Because of the stagnant economy at home, a number of Italian family fashion houses like Salvatore Ferragamo and Prada have concluded work on their initial public offerings, or sold themselves to fashion conglomerates, like men's clothing label Brioni to the French luxury group PPR.

But Gabbana says that's not going to happen for their firm, "at least not within the next five years".

"We are like the mother and father in the big family, and Dolce & Gabbana is like our child. We would like to take care of every part of it," says Gabbana, bursting out in a repetition of "Si!" when what he says is understood by others perfectly.

"Nobody helped us 26 years ago when we started," he says, recalling the days when two men in their 20s, keen on fashion design, had to clean their shop restroom themselves. "And now that we have learned everything, there is no need to leave it to others."

"We don't want to be the richest people in the grave. We enjoy our life and the freedom now," says Gabbana.

The "freedom" Gabbana refers includes freedom to stop the company's second-tier line D&G, a long-rumored decision that was confirmed at the Milan 2012 Spring-Summer Fashion Week in September.

Industry insiders were critical.

Women's Wear Daily, for example, called it "unwise" to fold a collection line that generates 400 million euros ($550m) in sales every year. But the main reason for the move may be that the huge profit of the second line has been threatening the major one.

"We just feel it's not the time anymore. It's more about the feeling," says Gabbana.

But Dolce concedes it was a "hard decision" that took them three years to make, and stresses that it is not an end to D&G, but rather a continuance, a combination.

"It's like sending a kid to study overseas, and now it's the time for him to come back," he says.

Why did it take three years to decide?

"They always fight," interrupts Simona Baroni, the world press director who has been working with them since 1998.

"We are one tiger with two heads," says Gabbana, on hearing the Chinese proverb that two tigers cannot live on one mountain.

"We always thinks differently, like white and black, but it's very good as a balance. And we can always reach somewhere in between," adds Dolce.

But they agree that China is "an unneglectable market" that they have decided to visit every six months in the coming years. They also share an optimism about the future of young Chinese designers.

To give support to young designers worldwide, Dolce and Gabbana have changed their Spiga2 store in Milan, which once sold their accessories, into a showroom for talented designers to display their works. And one of them is from China.

"Chinese culture is one of the most ancient cultures in the world," says Gabbana, who says he looks forward to seeing China's next shining star.

You can contact the writer at xujunqian@chinadaily.com.cn.

(China Daily 11/13/2011 page14)